About James C. Pietraszek, MD

I have always planned on being a doctor, as I came from a medical family where my father was a physician and my mother a nurse. Growing up in that environment showed me how much joy and satisfaction one could get out of serving others as a doctor. I was also provided with a wonderful role model in my dad as to how to treat a patient with care and respect. I followed my dad to the same medical school he attended, the University of Buffalo in Buffalo, New York, where I grew up. During medical school I realized I wanted to be a surgeon. Working with my hands to heal patients felt most natural to me. After medical school I went to New York City where I spent the next five years in a general surgery residency at New York University/Bellevue Medical Center in Manhattan. There I was fully trained in the art and science of surgery, learning judgment and getting experience in treating the surgical patient. During my general surgery training I was exposed to plastic and reconstructive surgery. The combination of surgery and aesthetics was most appealing to me personally. I therefore decided to pursue further training in plastic surgery in Dallas, Texas in the University of Texas/Southwestern Medical School/Parkland Memorial Hospital Program, a widely recognized and highly esteemed teaching program in plastic surgery. There I trained with and learned from many of the leaders in the field of plastic surgery. Their expertise and skill are with me to this day. From Dallas I moved to San Diego where I have been in private practice ever since. Over the years my practice has evolved into an exclusively aesthetic or cosmetic practice, meaning I do elective surgeries designed to make one look better. It gives me great satisfaction to know that when I improve a patients appearance, I enhance their self image and their self esteem, which will allow them to more fully realize their true potential. On the personal side, I have been very happily married to my beautiful wife Sandy for 25 wonderful years and enjoy exercise, skiing, music, reading and traveling.