Meet Dr. Polo
Dr. Polo is a native Floridian, born and raised in Tampa. From an early age, he developed a strong interest, and a great reverence, for the medical profession. As he continued to pursue a career within this vocation, his personal interests and natural talents directed him to the field of plastic surgery. He has found extreme gratification through the practice of this specialty, which challenges him daily, to apply the intellectual and physical skills and artistic creativity that he has striven throughout his life to acquire, develop and maintain.
Practice Philosophy
As a token of her appreciation for my care, a patient once gave me a simple gift. It was a passage from scripture, in a small frame. I have kept it on my desk, in plain view, ever since, because to me it represents the essence of what I strive for in my practice as a physician and surgeon.
The passage is from Proverbs 13:6 "Righteousness guards the man of integrity."
This principle has guided every decision that I have made in my professional career. In both my education and training, and in establishing my private practice, I have accepted no compromises. This has allowed me to develop the highest level of skills available in my profession.
In order to optimally apply those skills to each patient and procedure, this same philosophy leads me to devote whatever time, attention and effort necessary to provide the highest quality service, in the safest fashion possible, to best meet the desired result.
When these efforts are seen as being representative of professional integrity, in the eyes of my patients and of my peers, then I have achieved success.
Dr. Polo considers himself first and foremost, a physician, and then a plastic surgeon. To him it is a privilege to belong to this great profession, and to apply the wealth of his education and training toward restoring health and well being to so many others. To Dr. Polo, the essence of his chosen field is best described in a well publicized quote from Gaspare Tagliacozzi, the author of the first textbook on plastic surgery. The statement was originally made in the 16th century, and it still holds true today.
"We restore, repair, and make whole those parts which nature has given but fortune has taken away not so much that they may delight the eye but that they may buoy up the spirit and help the mind of the afflicted."
Education and Training
Dr. Polo's education includes more than 20 years of study at some of the most highly regarded private institutions, including the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Miami. Dr. Polo is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) and is an active member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). It is established that certification by the ABPS is the gold standard in cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. Along the normally lengthy and arduous course to accomplish these credentials, Dr. Polo made many sacrifices to assure that he not only met the stringent customary requirements, but that at every step along the path, he received the highest quality education and training available. This involved moving throughout the U.S. and dedicating years of additional time and effort in order for him to obtain the most advanced knowledge and skills to apply to the care of his patients. Dr. Polo voluntarily completed residency training in both general surgery and plastic surgery. He also voluntarily completed additional plastic surgery fellowship training during which he dedicated years toward studying the biology of normal and abnormal wound healing, tissue engineering and drugs and products to promote tissue regeneration.
After completing his training, Dr. Polo began practice in West Palm Beach, Florida, with Palm Beach Plastic Surgery, P.A. After two years, an opportunity arose for him to open his own private practice in Miami. Since 2003, Dr. Polo has owned and operated Polo Plastic Surgery, P.A. The majority of his practice involves breast and body contouring procedures, including; breast augmentation, breast lift (mastopexy), breast reduction, breast cancer reconstruction, liposuction, tummy tuck (abdominoplasty), buttock and thigh lift, and arm lift (brachioplasty). Dr. Polo also regularly performs many facial procedures, including: Botox injections, dermal and soft tissue filler injections, brow lift, blepharoplasty, face lift, neck lift, rhinoplasty, otoplasty and skin cancer reconstruction. Dr. Polo's areas of special interest are involved with development of new techniques, products and devices related to post-surgical pain management, to tissue regeneration and tissue engineering for dermal filling and soft tissue augmentation, and to laser skin rejuvenation.
Board Certification
Choosing the right doctor is the first step to successful plastic surgery. When selecting your surgeon, the first step is to confirm that he or she has the proper education, training, and experience. This can be validated by your doctor's certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS). The importance of this specific credential is that it authenticates that your doctor is board certified in the specialty of plastic surgery. Only surgeons certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery are board certified to perform cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery on all parts of the body, including the face, breasts, trunk and extremities. No other board certification involves more specialized or more comprehensive qualifications in cosmetic surgery.
Many doctors advertise themselves as "cosmetic surgeons." Many of these are board certified; however they may not make clear in which specialty they are certified. The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is the general medical board which alone is recognized by the American Medical Association (AMA) to certify doctors in over 24 medical specialties. The American Board of Plastic Surgery is the only board recognized by the ABMS whose diplomats satisfy education and training requirements and pass examinations for certification in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the face, head and neck, trunk and extremities.
- View Dr. Polo's Curriculum Vitae
