Dr. Edward Chamata: The Art-Driven Precision Mindset That Defines Modern Plastic Surgery Success

As part of my series about healthcare leaders, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Edward Chamata, M.D.

Dr Edward Chamata, M.D. is a plastic surgeon based out of Houston, Texas that is best known for his innovative techniques in high-definition liposuction, high-definition tummy tucks, and Brazilian Butt Lift surgeries. His signature tummy tucks focus on creating ab definition alongside a natural belly button with hidden incisions, coupled with his unique ab sculpting methods to create a fit, yet natural abdomen. Following his prestigious education at Baylor College of Medicine in plastic and reconstructive surgery, he trained under a world-renowned plastic surgeon where he perfected the art of modern plastic surgery.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! What is your “backstory”?

I’m a plastic surgeon currently in private practice in Houston, TX. I mainly specialize in aesthetic plastic surgery of the body, and I’m most known for my advanced techniques that produce natural results for my patients. My most requested surgical procedures include liposuction, tummy tucks, and BBL surgery. I have a long background in art, which translated perfectly into the field of plastic surgery as it truly requires an artist eye! My surgical training took place in one of the top plastic surgery institutions nationwide in the world’s largest medical center located in Houston TX. Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of having my artwork and research studies published in several textbooks and medical journals.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

My favorite story of my career so far is about a patient in her 60s who came to me desiring facial rejuvenation. She had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and had developed characteristic signs of the disease in her face. She told me that her goal for this surgery was simply to enhance her facial features so she could feel more confident being in social situations without being self-conscious of her appearance. She was so thrilled with her results and her new confidence from the surgery that she gave me the nickname “Dr. Michelangelo”, a reference to the Italian artist. She even reached out to me a few months after her surgery to tell me that she was asked on a date by a man in his 40s!

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

The first surgery that I scrubbed in on during my training, I was partnered with a young surgeon who appeared to be an upper level resident. While I was waiting for the senior attending surgeon to get in the room, the young surgeon asked for the scalpel and began operating, quite skillfully at that. In a panic, I asked him “Shouldn’t we wait for the senior attending surgeon to get here before we start??”. He began laughing and said “I am the senior surgeon”. That moment taught me that surgical skill has nothing to do with age but rather the time and dedication set forth to excelling in your craft. That was motivation for me to work as hard as I can during my training to get to the level I want to be at.

Are you working on any new or exciting projects now?

Yes! With any surgery that I perform, I always try to figure out how the traditional surgical techniques we learned during our surgical training can be safely elevated to new levels in order to create results that look even better, even more natural, and with as little scarring as possible. This is an ongoing project for me because improvements can always be made. This project is my contribution to the field of plastic surgery and my contribution to my patients who always deserve the best results possible!

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

My fiancée, Dr Kriti Mohan, is also a plastic surgeon who has really been my rock and someone who is a source of support and inspiration for me. We both met during our surgical training although she was 3 years ahead of me in her training. Working with her at the hospital and seeing how caring and genuine she is to her patients was a source of motivation for me to always strive to be the best physician to my patients. I can’t thank her enough for those lesson.

Is there a particular book that made an impact on you? Can you share a story?

When they say a picture is worth a thousand words, this is truly the case for me. One book that has truly impacted multiple aspects of my life and career is the “Atlas of Human Anatomy” by Frank Netter who was both a surgeon and a medical illustrator. I remember the first time I opened that book on my first day of medical school and just being completely enamored by the incredible medical illustrations. Since then, that book has been my bible of medicine. It has guided me and educated me about every detail of the human form, allowing me to take my surgical skills to another level through a greater understanding of anatomy. This book was also what re-ignited my passion for art and inspired me to use my art background to draw and publish my own medical illustrations of plastic surgery procedures.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

Because of my surgical training that included reconstructive plastic surgery and pediatric craniofacial reconstruction, I am fortunate enough to use these skills to provide pro bono reconstructive surgeries to various countries around the world that are in need of medical and surgical care. My favorite surgeries to perform abroad are cleft lip and cleft palate pediatric reconstructive surgeries. The latest surgical trip I was a part of was to Mexico in the spring of 2022, successfully completing approximately 40 surgeries there!

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share a story about how that was relevant to you in your own life?

As cheesy as it may be, my favorite life lesson quote is “Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life”. We invest the majority of our life into our career, and it’s so important to find something that you’re passionate about, something that makes you happy and glad to go to work each day.

Can you share your top three “lifestyle tweaks” that will help people feel great?

1. The first and biggest one is eating healthy: This includes removing all processed foods from your diet, removing processed sugars, removing inflammatory foods such as gluten, removing seed oils and processed vegetables oils, and eating mainly whole foods that are not sprayed with toxic pesticides. When you eat clean, you avoid all of the toxic substances in processed foods that are, in my opinion, the leading cause of chronic disease, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
2. Spend less time on your phone and less time indoors. Go outside, get the sun on you in order to get your much-needed Vitamin D. Pill supplementation holds no comparison to getting the true form. Low Vitamin D levels have been linked to mood disorders such as depression and cognitive impairment.
3. Take time to rest, this includes sleep and taking time away from work. Although everyone has busy lives and we all try to squeeze in as much work as we possibly can to achieve our goals in life, make sure to take the needed time for sleep each night to allow your body and mind to recover properly. This will set you up for increased productivity and mental clarity during the waking hours. Take your allotted vacation days, and enjoy the time that you’ve worked so hard for to rest, have fun, and bond with your loved ones!

What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why. (Please share a story or example for each.)

1. Don’t expect everything to go as planned. There will be multiple changes along the way to your goal- My initial goal during college was to become a cardiac surgeon in the future, however as I became exposed to the art of plastic surgery, I realized that’s where my true passion is, and it’s ok to change plans to follow what makes you happy, no matter how late it may be.
2. If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room. Surround yourself with people that are more successful than you, that are smarter than you, that are more hard-working than you are. I quickly realized that being around those people motivates you to work harder. These are also the people you can learn from and who can help you succeed- When I started becoming active in plastic surgery societies, I was able to share ideas with my colleagues and learn from them to improve my craft. I was also able to learn from their previous mistakes so I don’t repeat them myself.
3. Ask lots of questions. The best way to become more educated is to ask for clarification if you don’t understand something- Initially as a young surgeon in training, I was always afraid to ask my senior surgeon questions for fear of seeming as though I lacked knowledge, however gathering the courage to ask those questions allowed me to understand the surgery better and helped me take my surgical skills to the next level.
4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. You will never be all-knowing, and it’s okay to ask for help if you’re struggling or if you have too much on your plate. Let go of your ego and it will make you more successful in life- In preparation for challenging surgeries, I’ve found it extremely helpful to ask advice from other surgeons with regards to how their surgical approach would be.
5. Make time for yourself and your well-being. Many of us feel guilty when our time isn’t spent doing work, however time for self-care is massively important in improving our mental state and also allowing us to perform optimally in our career- May sleepless nights were spent at the hospital during training, either taking care of patients or studying for upcoming surgeries. Many of us neglected our diet, exercise, and sleep to allow for more time for studying. You quickly learn that this process is not sustainable and will only be detrimental to your success.

If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?

I think as physicians, we are taught to treat medical conditions that patients presents to us with. The most important movement for wellness isn’t actually treating the medical condition, but rather PREVENTING that medical condition from forming. In my opinion, many of the medical conditions plaguing our society currently such as diabetes and heart disease can be prevented or minimized with lifestyle modifications, especially dietary modifications. A bigger emphasis needs to be placed on dietary education to the general public and also to physicians in medical school. While I am not a Registered Dietician, nutritional science is a new passion of mine that I am currently educating myself on because in medical school, very little time is spent teaching medical students this very important topic.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them :-)

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson is someone I truly admire for multiple reasons including his passion for his work. He’s someone who I consider one of the most brilliant minds of our generation. Learning about the universe, space, and time really opens up our imagination and simultaneously puts everything around us into perspective. It would be an interesting lunch conversation to say the least!

What is the best way our readers can follow you online?

The best way is through my instagram (@drchamata). This is where you can take a closer look at my surgical results. I try to provide my followers with as much information on plastic surgery procedures to make them as informed as possible when they go into a consult with their future surgeon. I also make every effort to respond to most DMs sent to me!

Thank you so much for these wonderful insights!