About Johnny Chang, MD

Dr. Chang is unique among Altos Oaks Plastic Surgery‘s plastic and reconstructive surgeons in that before he pursued medicine, he had obtained 2 engineering degrees from the world-renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in mechanical engineering and design, and worked in roles within that industry. What would entice someone to give up such as successful early career and return to school to become a doctor? Dr. Chang says that it was more than just the diversity of the technical challenges in plastic surgery. He strives to use his talents to help people, and plastic and reconstructive surgery lets him dramatically and directly improve his patients’ quality of life. “I was missing the human element as an engineer,” Dr. Chang says. “To me, each surgery is something my patient and I embark on together as a team. I’m a firm believer that the best outcomes come from a collaborative approach, and together we are solving a human design challenge.” Dr. Chang graduated from the prestigious Tufts University School of Medicine and completed his general surgery internship and plastic surgery residency at Brown University. In addition to being certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Dr. Chang completed fellowship training in microvascular surgery at The Buncke Clinic in San Francisco. This allows him to perform highly technical procedures such as deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap breast reconstruction, which requires careful connection of tiny blood vessels and nerves under a high-powered microscope. As a plastic surgeon, his goal for all his patients is to enrich their lives in some way by improving form or function. He believes that Altos Oaks Plastic Surgery is an ideal place for a plastic surgeon to thrive because the focus is on the patient and understanding her/his desires.