Welcome to the Smith Plastic Surgery Institute website. I am pleased you have chosen to visit our website and I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself to you and tell you a little bit about myself and our philosophy here at the Smith Plastic Surgery Institute.

I am the oldest child of a large family of 10 children. My father was a physician, who specialized in Psychiatry. He worked very hard to support our large family, but he loved his work. He truly cared about his patients and I can remember people stopping him in stores or other places, thanking him for his good work. I believe that because of my father, I wanted to become a physician from a very early age. I cannot remember wanting to be anything else but a doctor. As the oldest child in a large family, I developed a sense of responsibility. From this, I also developed a very good work ethic that has served me well throughout my life.

Licensure

  • Diplomat Federal Licensure Examination 1989 Diplomat, National Board of Medical Examiners 1990
  • Texas Medical License 1993-Inactive
  • California Medical License 1993-Present
  • Utah Medical License 1994-Present
  • Minnesota Medical License 1999-Present
  • Nevada Medical License 2001-Present

Surgical Residency & Fellowships

  • Internship: General Surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston Texas, 1988-1989
  • Residency: Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston Texas 1989-1993
  • Fellowship: Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Stanford University, Palo Alto California, 1993-1994
  • Residency: Plastic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester Minnesota, 1999-2001

Education

Undergraduate Education

Undergraduate University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah Degree Bachelor of Science

Honors:

  • University of Utah Class of 1985
  • Benedictorian
  • Summa Cum Laude (highest honors)
  • Phi Beta Kappa
  • Phi Kappa Phi
  • Phi Eta Sigma

Medical School
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 1984-1988

Degree: Medical Doctor

Honors:

  • Alpha Omega Alpha (highest honor given to medical students)
  • Elected to Promotions Committee
  • Elected as Class Representative
  • National Board Scores:
    Part I: 660 (95%)
    Part II: 725 (99%)
    Part III: 725 (99%)
  • Given letters of commendation from the departments of Surgery, Internal Medicine, and Psychiatry

Honor & Awards

  • Highest score in the United States, Federal Licensure Exam Part I, 1989
  • National Board of Medical Examiners 99th percentile 1989
  • Second Place National Student Research Forum, Intern/Resident Division 1991
  • Annual Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery In-service. Examination Scores 99% all four years.
  • First Place University of Texas Medical Branch Resident Research Award 1991
  • Second Place Texas Otolaryngology Section 1992 for paper on functional endoscopic sinus surgery.
  • First place Southern Medical Association Otolaryngology Section 1992 for paper on intetelligibility of tracheoesophageal speech.
  • 1994 Recipient of Jack Anderson Award for Scholastic Excellence given by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. (Given to the most outstanding fellow in Facial Plastic Surgery training in the United States)
  • Annual Plastic Surgery In-service Exam 99th percentile both years Plastic Surgery Senior Residents Conference: Best Aesthetic Paper Award, 2001
  • Best overall Scientific Paper and Presentation: Revision Rhinoplasty Surgery on the Multiply Operated Nose, Combined California-Rocky Mountain Plastic Surgery Society Meeting June 2008
  • 2008 Best Scholarly Manuscript

Elected and Appointed Positions

  • American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Alternate to the Board of Governors 1992-1993
  • American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Committee on Residents and Fellows 1991-1994
  • American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Legislative Alternate 1991-1994
  • President Elect Texas Medical Association-Resident Physician Section 1991-1992
  • President Texas Medical Association-Resident Physician Section 1992-1993
  • Vice President University of Texas Medical Branch House Staff 1992-1993
  • Texas Council of Medical Education 1991-1993
  • University of Texas Medical Branch General Medical Education Council 1992-1993
  • University of Texas Medical Branch Policy and Procedures Committee 1992-1993
  • Elected to the Board of Examiners for the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery 2006-current
  • Elected secretary of the Rocky Mountain Plastic Surgery Society (Nevada, Utah, Arizona,Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and New Mexico) 2007-2008
  • Elected President-Elect of the Rocky Mountain Plastic Surgery Society (Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and New Mexico) 2008-2009

Scientific Presentations

  • Pediatric Cochlear Implantation in Ossified Cochleas. National Student Research forum: January 1991
  • Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery in 200 Patients. Poster presentation, AAO-HNS Annual Meeting: September 1992
  • Pediatric Cochlear Implantation in Ossified Cochleas. Poster presentation, AAO-HNS Annual Meeting: September 1992
  • Thyroglossal Duct Cyst Carcinoma. Poster presentation, AAO-HNS Annual Meeting, Otolaryngology Section: September 1992
  • Intelligibilty of Trachiosophageal Speech. Baylor Phonosurgery Course: October 1992
  • Intelligibility, Subjective and Acoustical Analysis of Traciosophageal Speech.
  • Southern Medical Association Annual Meeting, Otolaryngology Section: November 1992
  • Pseudoepitheliomatous Hyperplasia Mistaken for Cancer after Mohs surgery.
  • Sixth international Symposium of Facial Plastic Surgery: June 1993
  • Early experience with a New Procedure for Improvement of the Ptotic Melolabial Fold.
  • Sixth International Symposium of Facial Plastic Surgery: June 1993
  • Pediatric Salivary Gland Disease.
  • 20th Annual What’s New In Otolaryngology; Pediatric Update:June 21st, 1993
  • Course Director, Endoscopic Forehead and Facelift Symposium.
  • Stanford University: December 1993
  • The Transphenodial approach for removal of petrous apex cholesteatomas. Poster Presentation
  • American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, San Diego 1994
  • The Deep Plane Facelift. 21st Annual Stanford Alumni Course: Stanford University: June 1994
  • A Comparison between the Deep Plane Facelift and Traditional SMAS Dissection Meloplasty.
  • American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Annual Meeting: September 1994
  • Indications, Complications and Technique of Subperiostial Facelifting, Annual Cosmetic Surgery Symposium, Newport Beach, California: August 2002
  • Indications and Complications of Turbinate Surgery in 250 consecutive Patients.
  • Plastic Surgery Senior Residents Conference: April 2001
  • Evolution, Theory and Technique of Facelift Surgery; Achieving Natural Results Winter Facial Plastic Surgery Symposium, Squaw Valley, Nevada 2005
  • Combining Facial and Body Surgery: Tips Pearls and Safety guidelines, Winter Facial Plastic Surgery Symposium, Squaw Valley, Nevada 2005
  • Evolution and Technique for Midfacelifting, Galveston Texas, June 2005
  • Bariatric Surgery; Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, Scottsdale Arizona, January 2007
  • Post Bariatric Surgery: Pearls and Pitfalls, Annual Rocky Mountain plastic Surgery Society Meeting, February 2007
  • Lip Augmentation, Pearls and Pitfalls: 21st Century Annual Cosmetic Surgery Symposium, Newport Beach Califonia, August 2007
  • Revision Rhinoplasty on the Difficult Nose: 21st Annual Cosmetic Surgery Symposium, Newport Beach California, August 2007
  • Rhinoplasty on the multiply operated Nose: Combined California-Rocky Mountain Plastic Surgery
  • Society Annual Meeting. Dana Point California, June 2008.

Medical School

In school, I excelled in sports and did equally well in the academic arena. Being focused on my goal to become a physician, I graduated early from high school and finished college at age 18. At that point, I embarked on a service mission for my church. After finishing that service, I entered the University of Utah medical school as the youngest in my class at age 20. I was fortunate to graduate as one of the top in my medical school and was awarded membership in the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society. This awarded membership is the highest academic honor given to medical students.

During medical school, I developed a love for surgery. It seemed that all the toughest problems were referred to the surgeons and that they made amazing changes in people’s lives. Surgery also required a bit of athleticism and hand-eye coordination, which blended well with my history as an athlete in high school and college. Initially, I was attracted to Ear, Nose, Throat-Head and Neck Surgery as a surgical specialty. I traveled to one of the best schools for this specialty, at the time, the University of Texas Medical Branch located in Galveston. I also received the highest score in the nation on the federal licensure exam — one of two national exams all medical students must pass to become a physician.

Early Years in Practice

I enjoyed living on the gulf coast and having warmer winters, which eventually was one of the reasons I chose to practice in Las Vegas. As part of my surgical training in Texas, I was first exposed to facial plastic surgery. I quickly developed a love for this type of surgery. It was both artistic, challenging, and changed lives. I also took an interest in organized medicine at that time and was elected president of the Texas Medical Association-Resident Physician Section. I sat on the Texas Council of Medical Education. I helped craft policy and legislation as it pertained to health care. I was also elected president of the Housestaff at my hospital and was given many honors and awards during my training. I have since continued my service in various medical organizations. I served as secretary of the Rocky Mountain Plastic Surgery Society, and President of the Las Vegas Plastic Surgery Society, which I helped form.

After finishing my residency in Texas, I was accepted to a Facial Plastic Fellowship at Stanford University. Living in the Palo Alto area near San Francisco was one of the best experiences of my life. It was a beautiful place to live and I immensely enjoyed my training and work. During my time there, I was also fortunate to serve as an assistant professor in the Department of Surgery. At the end of this fellowship, I was awarded the Jack Anderson Award by the American Board of Facial Plastic Surgery. This was my second time to achieve the highest score on a national exam.

After finishing my training at Stanford, I practiced for a short time in Utah near my hometown. During this time, I completed my first medical mission to Zimbabwe. Since then, I have had the opportunity to serve other medical missions in other parts of the world on a regular basis. It is important as physicians and human beings that we continue to give back to the community. Desiring to become more specialized in Plastic Surgery, I left my busy practice in Utah and went to the world-famous Mayo Clinic to do a fellowship in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. There I was fortunate to work with some of the great pioneers of plastic and reconstructive surgery, including some of the pioneers in reconstructive breast surgery. My training there has helped me deal with some of the more difficult problems that present in the field of plastic surgery. While at the Mayo Clinic in 2001, I was given the award for the best research paper on Aesthetic Surgery for the resident physician section by the American Plastic Surgery Society.

Upon finishing my training, I decided to enter practice in the Las Vegas area. I liked the warmer winters here and it was a growing city with many opportunities. I have enjoyed living in the Vegas area and have met many wonderful friends here. There is always something interesting or exciting going on in Vegas as it is the crossroads for the United States. I have cared for celebrities and patients from abroad.

My commitment to you

During my many years of training, I had the opportunity to live in all parts of the country and to train at some of the finest medical institutions in the world. This training and experience have helped shape my philosophy regarding medicine, as well as plastic surgery specifically. Plastic surgery is a combination of science and art. I feel I have been blessed to have a very artistic sense. I treat every surgery as if it is a work of art, something that I want to be proud of when it is finished. It is my philosophy to treat each patient as if they were personal friends and to use cutting-edge technology combined with old-fashioned values. Nothing takes the place of caring and concern. Our attempt is to treat others in a manner that we would want ourselves or our family members to be treated.*

Welcome,

Lane F. Smith, M.D.
F.A.C.S., F.A.O.H.N.S., F.A.B.F.P.R.S.

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