Eva Sheie (00:03):
The purpose of this podcast is simple. We want you to get to know your doctor before meeting them in person because you're making a life-changing decision, and time is scarce. The more you can learn about who your doctor is before you meet them, the better that first meeting will be. There's no substitute for an in-person appointment, but we hope this comes close. I'm your host, Eva Sheie, and you're listening to Meet the Doctor Today. My guest on Meet the Doctor is Maria LoTempio. She's a double board certified plastic surgeon in New York City. Welcome to the podcast. Good to see you.

Dr. LoTempio (00:40):
Thank you, Eva. This is such an honor, such a pleasure to be here this morning, especially to be able to, uh, discuss life with you. I'm excited.

Eva Sheie (00:49):
It's a beautiful morning in New York City and um, I think it's as good a place to start as any as to just ask you, are you from here,

Dr. LoTempio (00:58):
<laugh>? I'm actually from Buffalo, New York. Buffalo. I'm a Buffalo girl.

Eva Sheie (01:03):
Oh boy.

Dr. LoTempio (01:04):
Yep. I know.

Eva Sheie (01:05):
Are you a Bills fan?

Dr. LoTempio (01:06):
A hundred percent. Oh boy, die hard.

Eva Sheie (01:08):
When I lived in Houston, all my friends were from Buffalo and so I used to go to the Buffalo Bills Backers Bar and they ran the official Bills Backers Club. And so I was a, an honorary Bills fan for many years before the Texans were in Houston.

Dr. LoTempio (01:27):
So my uh, friends always laugh at me because we could travel anywhere in the world and I will gravitate and meet Bills fans. And in any bar, in any city, in any country, there's a bunch of us.

Eva Sheie (01:38):
Like you have radar for each other.

Dr. LoTempio (01:39):
We do. We just pick each other up weird and we just gravitate towards each other.

Eva Sheie (01:43):
And you're not even wearing Bills clothes, you're just like never.

Dr. LoTempio (01:46):
No, no. But you just know, huh? There's just something about us. We're magnets. We just like attach.

Eva Sheie (01:52):
Yeah.

Dr. LoTempio (01:53):
Yeah. We love sports. We're very, and we're very loyal. Loyal. And it's difficult to be loyal to the Bills at times, but, but we all are <laugh>.

Eva Sheie (02:01):
Well, very true.

Dr. LoTempio (02:02):
We are.

Eva Sheie (02:03):
When did you leave Buffalo?

Dr. LoTempio (02:06):
Uh, gosh, that's a hard question. I mean, I've been in and outta Buffalo probably since I've been 15 because I uh, used to train in Canada for ice skating and then I officially left for college. And then from there I uh, went back for medical school and then from there I pretty much left permanently. But I still go back. As a matter of fact, I'm going back today, right after this podcast.

Eva Sheie (02:30):
Okay. What are you going up there for?

Dr. LoTempio (02:32):
Today is the Allentown Art Festival in Buffalo, which is a beautiful event where they close the street downtown and you can look at all the different art vendors and eat wonderful, traditionally fatty food that's horrible for you, but only you can find in Buffalo. So I'm very excited about it.

Eva Sheie (02:49):
Are you gonna drive?

Dr. LoTempio (02:50):
I'm gonna fly.

Eva Sheie (02:51):
Okay. So you said ice skating. Were you training to be a a figure skater?

Dr. LoTempio (02:57):
Yes. Yes.

Eva Sheie (02:58):
Did you think you were gonna be a professional skater?

Dr. LoTempio (03:01):
I think you always go into it thinking that maybe like you always say, oh, I wanna be a princess. Or a little bit of you wanna be a queen <laugh> when you grow up. I always wanted to be a figure skater. I always wanted to go to the Olympics, but you know, that wasn't really in my future. So I think deep down inside I knew I always wanted to be a doctor and that kind of superseded anything.

Eva Sheie (03:21):
And I've interviewed a lot of doctors this year and I've been asking the question a lot like, when did you know you were gonna be a doctor? And they always fall into one of two buckets, either they always knew from the time they were a little kid, I'm gonna be a doctor, or they were doing something else really well like you were. And then all of a sudden something happens and they switched to, I'm going to be a doctor now. Is that accurate that that's sort of what happened to you?

Dr. LoTempio (03:50):
Somewhat. I was six years old and I always had ear infections and throat infections. I was just one of those kids that were always sick and I was always at the pediatrician's office. And one time when I was six years old, he took out the stethoscope and was listening to my heart and lungs and I'm like, you know, I come here all the time and every time I come you put this black thing on me. What are you doing? He goes, I'm listening to your heart. And I said, oh. I said, are there other things in there that you can listen to? And he goes, yes. I go, what are they? He goes, we call them organs. And then I said, oh, so if something goes wrong, are you a doctor to fix the organs? He goes, well, I treat the organs. Yes. I said, well, something goes wrong, how do you get to them? He goes, well that's a surgeon. I said, well, how does a surgeon get to them? And he said, you have to cut to get into it. And I turned around to my mother and I said, I'm gonna be a surgeon.

Eva Sheie (04:46):
When you were six, you did this.

Dr. LoTempio (04:48):
Six years old.

Eva Sheie (04:49):
Was anyone else in your family a doctor?

Dr. LoTempio (04:51):
No one was ever in the medical profession?

Eva Sheie (04:54):
Yeah. So you were just skating until you could be a doctor? <laugh>, <laugh>. And then, uh, you headed off to college. Where did you go?

Dr. LoTempio (05:05):
Georgetown University.

Eva Sheie (05:07):
Oh, Georgetown. And did, did you stay there then for medical school or No?

Dr. LoTempio (05:11):
No, my father said, Hey, you've had enough fun. I've spent enough money. Lets come home to Buffalo so I could get a little break financially. And I was very, very fortunate that my father was and mother were able to provide education for me. So I said, okay, I'll come back to Buffalo.

Eva Sheie (05:29):
So tell us about the path from Buffalo. I mean, it's covering a lot of ground, but from going back home to kind of where you are now, what did that look like?

Dr. LoTempio (05:39):
Well, you could imagine after, you know, years in Buffalo for medical school, I was like, that's it, I'm done. I need sun, I need warm. And I immediately moved to Los Angeles. Half of my family in the thirties went to Los Angeles and all my roommates in college were from Los Angeles in Orange County. So for reason, I always had this like, you know, beach blonde image of myself, even though I'm brunette and hazel eyes died blonde now. But I just gravitated to the West coast. So I was fortunate enough to be accepted to a really prestigious, uh, head and neck program at UCLA for six years and completed that and did well and decided that it was time for me to do a fellowship. So all the residents meet with their chair and most of us in head and neck surgery go on and do like a facial plastic fellowship, which is generally 12 months.

(06:33):
And my chair said, no, that's not your path. And I said, I don't understand. And I was crushed. I'm like, why? Why? He goes, no, no, I think you're so talented. I want you to do, you should go on and be a plastic surgeon and learn about reconstruction from the whole body. Cuz that was really my emphasis initially. And I was like, what? I'm already old another year, where am I gonna go? And he's like, no, I think this is the right path for you. And you know what? He knew me better than myself cuz that was a hundred percent the right information to relay. And I credit him Gerald Burke for where I am today.

Eva Sheie (07:10):
Were there a lot of women in this program or not really?

Dr. LoTempio (07:14):
You know, UCLA was very heavily endowed with a lot of women, women surgeons. So I was very lucky to be in a program where there is many women and I never really thought like I was a woman. There was anything weird about that in this particular program cuz there was so many of us.

Eva Sheie (07:31):
Was any part of this training particularly challenging for you?

Dr. LoTempio (07:35):
What part?

Eva Sheie (07:36):
<laugh> All of it .

Dr. LoTempio (07:38):
To be a surgeon's challenging. Sure. You know, I think we all in our lives have problems with moments in our life where things are just really stressful and, um, to achieve something you really have to put forth the effort and the determination, but you really need support, you know, and I was super lucky I came from a family and have a great social and friend network that really supported me even in the down times. And I just kept going. And they, again, sometimes people know you better than yourself.

Eva Sheie (08:07):
Sometimes being told no is the best thing that can happen to you.

Dr. LoTempio (08:11):
True.

Eva Sheie (08:12):
So how did you get back to the east coast then, from LA?

Dr. LoTempio (08:15):
So I moved to South Carolina. I inched back slowly still in warm weather. And then from there I was in a residency program that had a very famous breast surgeon who was there because of Katrina. And I was put on his service. And during that time he said, Hey, I don't think your life's back in LA I think your life is more here. I don't think you're gonna go back doing, you know, head and neck reconstruction. I think you're gonna be doing more breast reconstruction. And by the way, would you like to do my fellowship <laugh>? So I was like, oh no, another year. And I

Eva Sheie (08:54):
<laugh> By then they knew you were great at being in school?

Dr. LoTempio (08:57):
Yeah, I think I was like a permanent, you know, official student here. But because of him, I joined his fellowship and that brought me to New Orleans and to New York City. And I was like, okay, you know, this first time in, gosh, how many years? I'm actually close to my family up in Buffalo. So, uh, after my fellowship, you know, unfortunately parents get older and they get sick. And my family, my parents were getting some medical problems that they were having and I thought that at this point it would be better to be closer to home than far away. So I decided that I think New York City was gonna be my home. Never looked back.

Eva Sheie (09:35):
Before we get to what you're doing today, I wanna ask you why fellowship training is important from the patient perspective?

Dr. LoTempio (09:44):
I think that patients need to know that you actually have a niche and you actually have that expertise and additional training. And I think that separates you from so many different angles. Not only from your experience, but from your ability to experience d individuals from different parts of the country, different medical issues. And it really becomes, I think you become more well-rounded when you do extended training.

Eva Sheie (10:18):
About how many patients would you see in a typical fellowship? Like if it's one year long, you would take care of hundreds of people during that time of course Yeah.

Dr. LoTempio (10:29):
Mm-hmmm. <affirmative>.

Eva Sheie (10:29):
So that's really where you're getting that super specific experience before you head out on your own or do something different.

Dr. LoTempio (10:37):
Right. And you see really all types and all severities, which sometimes you don't see in certain times of your life.

Eva Sheie (10:48):
So what kinds of patients were those? They were people with breast cancer?

Dr. LoTempio (10:52):
They were with, yes.

Eva Sheie (10:53):
Yeah. What kinds of breast reconstruction techniques were you learning there?

Dr. LoTempio (10:59):
So, you know, traditionally breast reconstruction, let's say 20 years ago was really limited to implants and then certain autologous or muscle rearrangements, you know, to cover the, um, implant or to create a breast. It wasn't until probably the early two thousands where actually performing free flaps and muscle sparing free flaps to create a breast such as the deep to deep inferior epigastric perforator flap and then the pap flap, and then all these other eye calf flaps. And these are all different types of perforator flaps, which I was educated and trained in, which really opened up a whole new avenue for women to have natural breast reconstruction, which wasn't available prior. The thing with these types of, of surgeries is they were really very much an expertise niche, and that very few people at the time were trained to do that. So I was lucky to be with one of the pioneers who took me under his wing. And, and that's how I became, you know, proficient in doing these surgeries. And as a result became known for doing these surgeries.

Eva Sheie (12:20):
And are you still doing them today?

Dr. LoTempio (12:21):
No, I'm not <laugh>. I'm not, I still continue to do second stage and third stage reconstructions, but microsurgery is such a wonderful part of one's practice. But I think that as I've evolved my experience, my technique, my interests have evolved with me. And I remember my, my mentor saying, you know, you're going to gravitate towards cosmetic and aesthetics. And I was always like, I didn't really enjoy that phrase because I felt that when I was doing reconstruction, that was equally an important part. So it, it was always there. It wasn't one or the other. But I think in life, you know, everyone has a path and I've had a quite a unique one. And when my, um, mother died, I had kind of a, you know, life-changing event and decided that I needed to do something different. So I went to the Middle East and had a cosmetic practice in Dubai and that kind of changed my whole kind of emphasis on my practice. And that was the start of me kind of gravitating to more aesthetic surgery.

Eva Sheie (13:40):
How did this opportunity come to you to go to Dubai?

Dr. LoTempio (13:44):
So I always have people contacting me about different positions and you know, I, I went to school in England and I did a fellowship in Paris. I've always kind of been around in the European scenes on some level and people just email me and say, Hey, I have this opportunity, is this something you're interested in? I'd be like, no, no, no, in this particular opportunity, what's coming across my desk, my email quite often. I kept saying, no, no, no, no. And then, then my mother died and all of a sudden I was sitting there and I looked at my email and just randomly that from that same individual popped up again. I'm like, you know what, why not? You know, why not? I, I've done, you know, it's funny, it's like I hit the midlife crisis. I bought a sports car, you know, let's do something out outside the box. So met with him, discussed it, and sure enough I started commuting to Dubai <laugh> and did that for four years. I commuted almost every six weeks.

Eva Sheie (14:47):
What kinds of patients were you seeing in Dubai then?

Dr. LoTempio (14:49):
Oh gosh. What, and, and I have to say it was one of the best experiences of my life everywhere. I mean patients from Russia, from all over the Middle East, Europe, I mean everyone, all different types. I mean, cosmetic surgery or aesthetic surgery done in other countries or can be very different than here in, so you think you see things that would never be allowed here that would be allowed in other countries. And then they come to you and they're like, okay, now fix me. And you're kind of like, huh, never even seen this <laugh>.

Eva Sheie (15:18):
Oh, so people were coming because they were hurt by surgery?

Dr. LoTempio (15:22):
Sometimes.

Eva Sheie (15:22):
Sometimes.

Dr. LoTempio (15:23):
Or they just wanted, you know, just wanted me to do whatever, you know, it's, it was, uh, it was a mixed bag. Yeah.

Eva Sheie (15:33):
How long were you over there then?

Dr. LoTempio (15:35):
Intermittently for four years.

Eva Sheie (15:38):
And so did you just stop because it got to be too tiring to keep going back and forth or?

Dr. LoTempio (15:44):
Yeah. I also had a dog.

Eva Sheie (15:46):
Yeah, your dog. Okay. Tell me about your dog.

Dr. LoTempio (15:47):
Yeah, so my dog, Wallace <laugh> <laugh>, who is my baby, you know, I always joke around that I, I work for him to have the lifestyle. He has <laugh> and when I get really kind of stressed, I always tell him in the morning, I'm like, what are you gonna do today? Why don't you get a job? Why don't you pay for this lifestyle? He is a West Highland Terrier and he's a perfect city dog. He's a go-getter. He's loyal, he's fierce, he's fun, he's playful, he's quaffed, he, uh, of course he's a plastic surgeon's dog.

Eva Sheie (16:18):
Of course.

Dr. LoTempio (16:19):
Uh, he walked in the, uh, Scottish parade about four years ago and ended up in the Post because, uh, Grandmaster, grand Marshall actually picked him up and he was in a Scottish kilt in his little Tammy, and he was in his colors.

Eva Sheie (16:32):
<laugh>. That's fantastic.

Dr. LoTempio (16:33):
Yeah. So, uh, yeah, so Wallace gets a lot of, lot of attention.

Eva Sheie (16:38):
Oh, Wallace. So where's Wallace today?

Dr. LoTempio (16:41):
Wallace is sleeping.

Eva Sheie (16:42):
He's at home.

Dr. LoTempio (16:43):
In my bed.

Eva Sheie (16:44):
Mm.

Dr. LoTempio (16:44):
Yes, he is not a morning dog.

Eva Sheie (16:47):
<laugh>,

Dr. LoTempio (16:49):
You laugh. He really isn't. I wake up at 5:30, you know, to go to work and he looks at me and he is like, shut the light off. You know, like, what, what are you doing? Go. You're disturbing me. And then I have cameras set all over, you know, my apartment and I can see him as soon as I leave. He's down and out <laugh> until about 10, and then he slowly wakes up around 10:00 AM

Eva Sheie (17:12):
Wow. Yeah, he does need a job.

Dr. LoTempio (17:14):
Yeah, I know.

Eva Sheie (17:15):
Are you sure he is not depressed?

Dr. LoTempio (17:17):
Uh, yeah, I thought about that. But no, he's really happy. Smiley. He's up all night partying. I think he has a whole bunch of friends outside with his nanny. They have play dates.

Eva Sheie (17:27):
He has a nanny.

Dr. LoTempio (17:27):
He has a nanny, yeah.

Eva Sheie (17:28):
Oh, Wallace.

Dr. LoTempio (17:28):
And I walk on the street on the weekends when I'm not working, obviously. And people come up and they're like, hi Wallace. And I'm just kind looking at them and they're like, oh, are you the new nanny? And I'm like, no, that I'm the owner, I'm the mother. And they're like, oh, <laugh>,

Eva Sheie (17:45):
So Wallace is well known in the neighborhood?

Dr. LoTempio (17:48):
Very much so.

Eva Sheie (17:50):
Okay. So you work long hours. You're taking care of a lot of people. What kind of patients are you seeing these days?

Dr. LoTempio (17:58):
I mostly see patients that have had cosmetic surgeries that have not necessarily been ideal for them.

Eva Sheie (18:06):
So a lot of revision.

Dr. LoTempio (18:08):
I'm sort of slowly moving into that part of my life where I'm getting the revisions and I remember one of my mentors says, you know, you get to the point in your life where you, you finally kind of hit your stride and that's when you know, when you start getting the hard cases, the cases that people have done and don't wanna do anymore, and they kind of come to your, your door.

Eva Sheie (18:28):
Yeah. This happens to us, doesn't it?

Dr. LoTempio (18:31):
Yeah. I don't know if it's good because it's like, hey, uh, but then you're like, oh, I'm getting older. Okay.

Eva Sheie (18:37):
Yeah. I just feel like I just kind of hit that like all of a sudden the hard problems are the ones coming my way because I'm the only one that can solve them. Why?

Dr. LoTempio (18:45):
I know, right? Like, shouldn't there be other people <laugh> and why can't I have the easy stuff? <laugh>.

(18:52):
I want my life to be easy at this point. I've like, you know, worked very hard. We all have, right? We want a little bit of a break now and then, but it is an honor, you know, and I, I do have, you know, these patients and, and I, I like the challenges. I, I really do enjoy them and I'm always trying to improve my surgical technique, my care, and you can't do that if you just do the simple things over and over again. You need that little bit of, of that challenge to get you moving to that next stage.

Eva Sheie (19:21):
Is there a certain type of patient that you want to see these days? What, what does that look like?

Dr. LoTempio (19:27):
No, um, equal opportunity to everyone, you know, I think it's more or less the, the better question is, is that patient want, does want to see me?

Eva Sheie (19:38):
I think maybe where I'm trying to go with that is what do patients find you for? What are you known for? Right? When people say, I need help with, fill in the blank, oh, you need to go see Dr. LoTempio, what is that thing that they're talking about you?

Dr. LoTempio (19:54):
Right. So I'm known for breast surgery and liposuction and fat grafting. Those are probably the three big areas.

Eva Sheie (20:04):
Fat is a very popular topic these days.

Dr. LoTempio (20:08):
It is, absolutely.

Eva Sheie (20:11):
So how are you thinking about fat in terms of moving it around, keeping it, getting rid of it, shifting it to other places on the body? What's happening there?

Dr. LoTempio (20:21):
Yeah, I make equal opportunity with fat <laugh>. I like to do everything with it. I do everything with it. I move it around, I take it out, I put it in, you know, I, I switch places with it. Um, I sculpt it, I do a bunch of things with it. I repair things with it. It, it really is a versatile graft to be able to use in so many different areas of the body and so many different reasons to use it in all different types of patients.

Eva Sheie (20:48):
A lot of women are coming in and asking, at least from what I hear, people are asking for ways to have breast augmentation without implants. Are you starting to see that happening?

Dr. LoTempio (20:59):
Yes, but you know, we've, I've been doing that for about 15 years, so for me it's nothing new. But yes, there's definitely a subset that wants the natural breast and, um, I definitely see those.

Eva Sheie (21:16):
What do you think the reasons are behind that?

Dr. LoTempio (21:19):
Um, multifactorial. I think women have an idea that implants are unsafe and they're scared and everyone knows of a horror story and they don't want a foreign body in them, and they don't wanna be really big and they don't wanna look like they've been augmented and they just want a little, you know, little, little fullness, a little pop, you know, cute little black dress that they don't really need to wear a bra when they go out. A little bit of cleavage, but nothing like over the top, such as their own zip code with their, you know, breasts, <laugh>, not like the eighties where we, you know, the Triple Gs were being put in, you know, and, and a large breast. I think women now want more of a natural and more of a, a reasonable shape to their body, natural to their body shape.

Eva Sheie (22:14):
So how do you accomplish that with things other than implants?

Dr. LoTempio (22:19):
Well, you know, it's, again, they have to have a certain breast size to start off with. They have to have a, a certain skin quality, but really more importantly, they have to have a certain type of medical history because, uh, fat grafting can distort cancer surveillance. So we have to make sure that they're educated, that the older women that have a very high family history or more of an in-depth family history, that they need to be aware of certain things that they may occur once they have fat to the breast. And education's really key.

Eva Sheie (22:55):
Is there something that you do when you see a new patient then to assess their level of cancer risk? Is that something that you're paying attention to?

Dr. LoTempio (23:04):
Oh, a hundred percent.

Eva Sheie (23:05):
What does that look like?

Dr. LoTempio (23:07):
Well, it's a series of questions. I mean, uh, I think my staff always laughs at me because they're like, send Dr. LoTempo and she could find out anything <laugh>, you know, she'll you find out like, you know, what their taxes were like 20 years ago, <laugh>. Um, yeah, you know, I'm really privileged in the sense that, um, UCLA really was an incredible teaching institution that really, again, I was a cancer surgeon, my background is cancer. So I was taught by the best of the best to really take a detailed history within a very short period of time. And I can extrapolate and, and actually get the information I need very quickly and then determine what I need to do and not do.

Eva Sheie (23:53):
Have you actually caught cancer in anybody before the, like in a consultation or before they've had surgery?

Dr. LoTempio (23:59):
A hundred percent,

Eva Sheie (24:00):
Yeah. Probably more times than you want it to happen.

Dr. LoTempio (24:03):
And diseases, autoimmune diseases.

Eva Sheie (24:07):
Oh, interesting.

Dr. LoTempio (24:07):
I've, uh, sent patients that to rheumatologists, hematologists, and I've gotten patients' letters saying like, if it weren't for you, I might not be here today because you sent me to X, Y, and Z and they picked up X, Y, and Z and now they're treating me.

Eva Sheie (24:24):
So on the list of your magical skills, you can identify whether someone is a Bills fan, but also detect <laugh>, whether they may or may not be at risk for cancer or autoimmune disease. Well, what are your other secret skills?

Dr. LoTempio (24:38):
Well, you know, I think most doctors do. I mean, we're all educated. I mean, there's all a series of questions that all of us, you know, know what to ask. You know, not everyone has a time, not everyone has that rapport with patients to be able to do that. I also was a nurse. Did you know that?

Eva Sheie (24:53):
I did not know.

Dr. LoTempio (24:54):
I was a neonatal ICU nurse. NICU nurse.

Eva Sheie (24:57):
When did you have time to be a nurse before you became a doctor?

Dr. LoTempio (25:00):
Before going to med school, I was a nurse, so my father, so, yeah, this is an interesting story. I digress. Let's digress for a moment. My father said, I'll pay for your education, but you need to become a nurse. And I'm like, what are you talking about? So my father had a home healthcare agency and his goal was for me to get an MBA and take over the company. So he thought, okay, she doesn't really wanna become a doctor, she doesn't wanna become a surgeon. I'm like, dad,

Eva Sheie (25:27):
He didn't believe you?

Dr. LoTempio (25:28):
He didn't believe me. Since six years old. He's like, no, you're getting, you're a woman, you don't wanna do that. And, uh, dad old fashioned. So I said, okay, fine. He goes, you know, you could be a double major, triple major, you could do anything you want, but you're gonna become a nurse. You're gonna be licensed and boarded and you're gonna work one year and after that one year you can do anything you want. So I said, fine. So I was double major. Went to school in the summers, went to school all year, got my nursing degree, got other degrees, got my pre-med in, graduated, got a coveted position in Washington DC in the NICU, neonatal I C U, worked for 12 months on the day of my 12 month anniversary. Gave him my resignation, applied for J Crew, became head cashier while I was applying to medical school. <laugh>

Eva Sheie (26:21):
What?

Dr. LoTempio (26:21):
Then I went to medical school.

Eva Sheie (26:23):
They say everyone should work either retail or restaurant at some point in their lives. So this is the part where you fit that in? Yeah,

Dr. LoTempio (26:31):
Yeah. I was, I was tired of wearing scrubs all the time. I wanted clothes.

Eva Sheie (26:34):
<laugh>. What did, uh, the experience of being a nurse teach you about being a doctor?

Dr. LoTempio (26:42):
Everything. Yeah. Not only do you have such a great appreciation for our staff, and I think sometimes as doctors we kind of forget the people that support us. And we're only as good as our team. You know, we're, it's not an individual, it's a team. And as a nurse you understand all avenues of the hospital, the support structures, how important they are, not only for the patient, for the patient's family, but it's, the ability to get along is ability to do what you need to do as a medical professional. And again, really the key is listening, understanding, providing the care, providing support, which I sometimes think as doctors, it's hard for us. We don't always have the time and, and we don't always have necessarily the skillset to do that. So I think I became unique in a sense that, that I, I had that.

Eva Sheie (27:43):
I've heard it said that they train, they train that out of doctors, but it sounds like they trained it into you first and they couldn't, they couldn't get rid of it.

Dr. LoTempio (27:52):
<laugh>. Yeah, no, I'm probably not, not with me.

Eva Sheie (27:55):
You mentioned earlier you're gonna go home to Buffalo today for an art festival. What other kinds of things do you like to do outside of work? And Wallace, of course.

Dr. LoTempio (28:04):
Yes. Right. So I love to play tennis. I try to play tennis, I should say. I enjoy that. I like to paint and don't laugh, it's paint by numbers, but I still like to do it. It's a way for me to relax. So one of the things is, as I've noticed, as I've gotten older, I always have to do things with my hands. And I think it's a surgery thing I always used to kid around. I'd be a great smoker, except I'm completely a hundred percent against it. But, you know, cuz I'd be great with my hands, like they're constantly doing something. So I do a lot of needle point, I do a lot of painting, things like that. Tennis, I try to be social. I belong to clubs. You know, I try to be as well-rounded as I can.

Eva Sheie (28:50):
One thing that is standing out to me here is that you like to work and you're, you keep yourself very busy.

Dr. LoTempio (28:56):
Yes. Yeah.

Eva Sheie (28:58):
What's coming for you in the next year?

Dr. LoTempio (29:01):
Greatness.

Eva Sheie (29:03):
More greatness?

Dr. LoTempio (29:04):
Yeah. No, it's, I think that this year is a great, great year for me. I think it's, it's a moment of revelation for me this year. Not to digress, but I, I did lose my dearest friend to cancer complication from cancer and my roommate from college, my sister, my, my it and I kid around saying that Im very fortunate in life. And I think a lot of it has to do with the people. I surround myself with my parents upstairs, she's upstairs now, and I think I have a, I have some, uh, guardian angels that are kind circulating and I think that with sorrow comes greatness and happiness. And I think I'm on that path to achieve even more.

Eva Sheie (29:54):
It sounds like it. You'll have to come back and tell us in a year.

Dr. LoTempio (29:58):
I can't wait.

Eva Sheie (30:01):
If someone's listening today and they wanna reach out or find out more about you, where should they go online?

Dr. LoTempio (30:06):
Oh, great. Yeah, so it's lo tempo plastic surgery.com or Dr. Lo Tempio, nyc, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, <laugh>. I think you can follow me everywhere nowadays with technology.

Eva Sheie (30:19):
You're not hard to find, uh,

Dr. LoTempio (30:21):
<laugh>. No. Yeah. But I think you could, you could really find us through our website and, and just, Sarah is my practice manager and she's just amazing. Again, you know, when you surround yourself with really amazing people, I think it only makes you better. And I'm so lucky. So, yeah. You know, I'm, I'm here, I'm in New York. I'm on Fifth Avenue, my brand new office and right across from Saks. So go buy a purse and come see me.

Eva Sheie (30:45):
<laugh>. That sounds like a good plan.

Dr. LoTempio (30:47):
Yeah,

Eva Sheie (30:48):
I'll put all those links in the show notes. Thank you for sharing yourself with us today.

Dr. LoTempio (30:53):
Absolutely.

Eva Sheie (30:53):
It's been a privilege.

Dr. LoTempio (30:54):
Hey, thank you. This has been absolutely wonderful. Thank you so much. It's such an honor again.

Eva Sheie (30:58):
You're welcome. If you are considering making an appointment or are on your way to meet this doctor, be sure to let them know you heard them on the Meet The Doctor podcast. Check the show notes for links, including the doctor's website and Instagram to learn more. Are you a doctor or do you know a doctor who'd like to be on the Meet the Doctor podcast? Book your free recording session at Meet the Doctor podcast.com. Meet the Doctor is Made with Love in Austin, Texas and is a production of The Axis, t h e a x i s.io.