Sum T. Tran, MD
Cosmetic Plastic Surgery
The practice of cosmetic surgery is multi-faceted. Dr. Sum Tran, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon practicing in Valencia since 1984, incorporates trauma work and hand surgery into his practice, as well as traditional cosmetic and reconstructive procedures. According to Joyce Jones, R.N. who has been with this office for over eight years and has over 20 years experience, "Dr. Tran is like an artist... he can take a puzzle and reconstruct it again. He is a straightforward, ethical doctor who is conservative in his approach. He is willing to accept the possibilities and look at them with an open mind."
Dr. Tran began his career in Vietnam, where he trained in plastic and reconstructive surgery at the Barsky Unit in Saigon. During this time, he was afforded the opportunity to refine his skills and gain a diversified base of experience during the Vietnam War. Later, in 1975, when he came to the United States, Dr. Tran completed general surgery residencies at Stanford University Medical Center and UCSF- Fresno VMC. He completed a plastic surgery residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York. Over the years, Dr. Tran has endeavored to stay attuned to modern techniques, equipment and methodology through on-going professional education and teaching.
He is known and respected for his conservative approach to patient care and care for the patient as a whole. Dr. Tran’s facility is accredited by the AAAHC (Accredited Association for Ambulatory Healthcare) and is located adjacent to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital. This location is ideal for the trauma work that he performs. Dr. Tran enjoys privileges at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital, Holy Cross Hospital and Granada Hills Hospital.
There are a multitude of ways in which plastic surgery is currently used. Dr. Tran’s practice includes cosmetic surgery, reconstructive surgery and the highly specialized field of hand surgery. The most recent addition of services, which Dr. Tran began offering in 1995 is Endoscopy, which he says "gives true meaning to the words nip and tuck." Endoscopy is a new form of plastic surgery that minimizes some of the negative side effects such as hair loss, numbness, visible scarring, itching and lengthy recovery time, that result from traditional forms of plastic surgery. What Makes Endoscopic surgery so much less invasive is the use of a small scope and camera mounted with a light and miniature surgical tools, which results in tiny incisions. According to Dr. Tran, the best candidates for Endoscopic surgery are patients in their 30’s and early 40’s who developed signs of aging, such as drooping eyebrows, forehead wrinkles , sagging cheeks, and lines around the corners of the mouth. Older patients, such as those in their 50’s and 60’s, are best served by combined surgical techniques that incorporate both Endoscopic and traditional surgery.
Source: The Magazine of Santa Clarita, July 1998.