On Sunday, February 11, Dr. Christopher Killingsworth of Astra Plastic Surgery appeared as the featured guest on News/Talk WSB Radio’s “The Weekly Check-Up.”

During the show, Dr. Killingsworth and host Dr. Bruce Feinberg discussed several topics, including the origins of plastic and reconstructive surgery, what led Dr. Killingsworth to medical school, and the variety of reconstructive procedures Astra Plastic Services offers its growing list of patients.

Both Drs. Killingsworth and Feinberg examined the crude beginnings of cosmetic surgeries, which date back to the 16th and 17th centuries. Back then and mostly since, reconstructive surgery was reserved for major injuries which left patients deformed or seriously debilitated. These days, however, the procedures are must more commonplace.

“Plastic surgery goes back a long way,” Dr. Killingsworth explained. “There’s a lot that people don’t know about it that is extremely interesting… Obviously people know the cosmetic stuff pretty well because it’s very publicized.”

Dr. Killingsworth went on to talk about what led him to medical school. He initially thought he’d go into family practice, but realized he liked the instant feedback and gratification involved in performing surgery and moved for a time into a vascular surgery rotation.

“I liked vascular surgery and considered that very heavily, but I got exposed to what I didn’t know about plastic surgery,” Dr. Killingsworth noted. “I was completely blown away by what we could do. Ultimately, vascular surgery and plastic surgery are pretty similar. [Plastic surgery] is very exacting. It takes a little bit of an OCD kind of mentality to do a good job. And eventually, plastic surgery had me.”

Dr. Killingsworth recounted the opening of his first Astra Plastic Surgery office in Cumming, and how he came to expand the practice to other offices in Sandy Springs, Marietta, and Alpharetta. “Given that we see a lot of the same patients,” he said, “We were able to bring on additional providers so that we have people who specialize in other things in the practice as well.

In addition to the facial rejuvenation, breast enhancement, body-sculpting, and non-invasive treatments Astra offers, the “mommy makeover” has become in-demand procedure and represents 70 percent of the services Dr. Killingsworth personally administers.

“So, the term ‘mommy makeover’ is not really a specific procedure. It’s usually a combination of procedures that differ depending on the things that are going on with that specific patient. And usually, we’re addressing things that change after pregnancy and childbirth. Usually those things are related to the breast and abdomen. There can be other areas we address too, but those are the two main areas that are commonly affected.”

Drs. Killingsworth and Feinberg also discussed Astra’s new surgery center, which will be opening soon on Old Milton Parkway in Alpharetta.

“Going forward we’ll be able to do some of our cosmetic and reconstructive surgeries in our own setting where we will have control over the whole process. It’ll be a good experience for patients and for outcomes,” Dr. Killingsworth said.

“Occasionally,” he added, “We’ll have combination procedures that that can take a while, and patients will feel more comfortable [in the Surgery Center] if they can stay a little bit longer with us.”

Dr. Christopher Killingsworth is a double board-certified plastic surgeon in Atlanta specializing in cosmetic surgery of the face, breasts, and body. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery.

He was repeatedly selected as the “Best Cosmetic Surgeon” by the Best of Forsyth Reader’s Choice Awards. Dr. Killingsworth is recognized as a Castle Connolly “Top Doctor.” He graduated from the University of Florida with highest honors and completed an award-winning research thesis in the area of vascular surgery (Lifeline Foundation Research Initiatives in Vascular Disease). He then attended the Medical College of Georgia for medical school, where he earned the William B. Dion award for Most Outstanding Student Pursuing a Career in Surgery. Dr. Killingsworth went on to attend the prestigious University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he completed a five-year residency in general surgery, focusing on breast and cancer surgery, vascular surgery, and minimally invasive (laparoscopic) techniques.

If you’d like to partner with Astra to develop an ideal treatment plan that meets your needs, visit AstraPlasticSurgery.com today.

Click below to hear Dr. Killingsworth’s “The Weekly Check-up” segment in its entirety!