Exploring Life & Business with Edward Abell of Northeast Georgia plastic surgery

Today we’d like to introduce you to Edward Abell.

Hi Edward, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I grew up in a very small town in rural Northeast Tennessee. I went to college at East Tennessee State University where I received a bachelor’s degree in biology and followed the premed track. I then attended the University of Tennessee College of medicine. While in medical school I became very interested in surgery. After medical school I was selected for a 5-year general surgery residency at Marshall University. While there had the opportunity to work alongside plastic surgeons as a part of my general surgery training. During my plastic surgery rotations while still a general surgery resident it was clear that this was the career which suited my skills and goals. It was a combination of both art and science which I found fascinating. It also let me focus more on improving the quality of life rather than simply extending life. After completing my general surgery residency I was selected for a plastic surgery fellowship again at the University of Tennessee. During my 2-year fellowship I was able to learn from some of the very best plastic surgeons in the world. This was a fantastic experience which laid the foundation of my career. Immediately following my plastic surgery fellowship I joined the practice at Northeast Georgia plastic surgery where I have been for the past 22 years.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As with most physicians there were many challenges along my academic career. With 4 years of college 4 years of medical school 5 years of general surgery residency and 2 years of plastic surgery fellowship as you can imagine there were many bumps in the road and it was quite long. However, since arriving in Northeast Georgia my career has stabilized and we are in a comfortable position. I have been able gradually grow my practice. Being in Gainesville Georgia allows us close access to Atlanta while being able to avoid some of the more difficult aspects of being in a major metropolitan area. Some of the challenges such as traffic, parking, and especially with overhead expense are much better managed in this community. This allows us to provide care for patient’s in a more calm, private, and cost-effective environment. In her affiliation with Northeast Georgia Medical Center allows us to maintain access to state-of-the-art medical care.

We’ve been impressed with Northeast Georgia plastic surgery, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am extremely proud of the practice we have been able to build at Northeast Georgia Plastic Surgery. I have been very fortunate to build a practice which is in a very unique position. I am affiliated with Northeast Georgia Medical Center which is one of the largest health systems in the state allowing me to remain involved in state of the art reconstructive plastic surgery. I am in a partnership with four other board-certified plastic surgeons allowing my patients access to a board-certified plastic surgeon 24 hours a day 365 days a year. Our proximity to Atlanta allows us access to the benefits of being in a major metropolitan area while being in a private and calming suburban environment. We are also in a unique position in which we own the operating facility in which we perform her cosmetic surgeries. Our operating facility is state certified and quite a certified with full-time staffing and coverage by board certified anesthesiologist. Ownership allows us to be extremely cost-effective as there are no additional entities billing the patient. In many practices when a surgeon performs surgery there are additional facility fees which can often times exceed the fees of the surgeon. Because the facility is surgeon owned there are no additional entities billing the patient. And most importantly owning the operative facility allows us to maintain extremely tight control on quality of care and safety. This allows us to provide extremely safe high-quality care in a cost-effective manner in a private calming environment.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Because our practice has been so successful we are in the position in which we can be more selective in the patients we work with and surgeries we do. Many practices in a more competitive environment feel a great deal of pressure to do any surgical procedure that a patient might ask for. This can oftentimes result in outcomes which are regrettable. We are in a position to be very honest with patients. When the patient requests a particular surgery in which we feel the outcome will not be ideal or puts the patient at undue risk we can simply advise them against that surgery. Because of this when we schedule the patient for surgical procedure they can feel comfortable that it is a good decision.

Pricing:

• Exact pricing for procedures required a consultation.
• Many times our prices are significantly lower than other plastic surgery practices. Rest assured this is not due to a decrease in quality is due to our unique circumstance.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.plasticsurgeryofgainesville.com