Today, we have the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Brandon Richland, a board-certified plastic surgeon based in Fountain Valley, CA and Newport Beach, California. Dr. Richland is renowned for his meticulous technique and innovative approach to aesthetic surgery. His practice offers a range of procedures including facelifts, body contouring, and breast surgeries. With a passion for enhancing patient confidence and well-being, he combines extensive training with a commitment to excellence. He strives to deliver beautiful, natural-looking results.
Dr. Richland’s dedication to his craft is evident through his comprehensive education and training. He completed his medical degree at Saint Louis University, where he was recognized as the Top Surgery Student. He further honed his skills during his training at the University of California at Irvine, becoming the first and only two-time recipient of the academic achievement award. His practice encompasses a wide array of services. Surgical procedures like mommy makeovers and tummy tucks to non-surgical treatments such as injectables and laser therapies. All tailored to meet the unique needs and goals of his patients.
Dr. Richland is known for his personalized patient care, ensuring that each individual receives attentive consultation and customized treatment plans. His practice, located in the heart of Orange County, reflects his allegiance to excellence and his commitment to staying at the forefront of scientific advancements in plastic surgery. Today, we’ll delve into Dr. Richland’s journey in the field of plastic surgery. We’ll explore the innovative techniques he employs, and discuss the impact of aesthetic procedures on patient lives.
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST INTERVIEW HERE
Dr. Brandon Richland: I grew up in San Diego. Let’s see, both of my parents were, they were med techs, so they just worked in a lab, but they’re in the medical industry, but not physicians. I’m the first physician in my family.
Beverly Hills Magazine: So you can segue into sort of what inspired you to become a plastic surgeon?
Dr. Brandon Richland: Yeah, so I’ve always wanted to become a surgeon for as long as I can remember. I was always interested in becoming a plastic surgeon. I was always interested in becoming a plastic surgeon. I in, uh, anatomy and physiology and just sort of the way things worked, especially related to the human body. Um, and, uh, so I can, you know, as long as I can remember, probably six, seven years old, I was always reading anatomy books and things like that. My parents probably thought it was weird or crazy, but I love that stuff.
Beverly Hills Magazine: Yeah. See, I’m a firm believer that I, in the fact that our natural God-given gifts and talents present themselves as children.
And that’s really where we need to look to where we’re going to thrive in our lives as adults. I think a lot of people don’t pursue the things that they’re naturally good at when they’re kids, you know? So I think that’s great. So it’s, you were meant to be a surgeon of some kind. Yes. Thank you. I felt like that.
Dr. Brandon Richland: So what is the most challenging thing about being a doctor, especially a plastic surgeon? I mean, altering a person’s appearance. I mean, that’s a tremendous responsibility.
It is a big responsibility and it’s something that, you know, I take very seriously. Um, you know, I always want to strive to provide the best results I can for all patients. I think one of the most challenging aspects is, I think counseling the patients and walking them through the process, um, because it can be a really, surgery is a very big decision and, you know, it’s something that, you know, myself, the surgeon, I’m a surgeon, and our patients don’t take lightly. So just, you know, wanting to walk them through the process, try to prepare them as best as possible for what’s to come.
Beverly Hills Magazine: Yeah, absolutely. So what is currently the most popular procedure? If, if there is one you can think of? Uh, so the most popular one I do are just in general. Uh, both, both. What industry trend are you seeing as a popular procedure?
Dr. Brandon Richland: For me personally, the most popular one would be a mommy makeover, which is the combination of, uh, breast and tummy tuck. So the breast surgery can be like a breast augmentation, uh, breast lift, breast revision, um, then tummy tuck generally with liposuction.
Beverly Hills Magazine: Yeah, I can see how that would be really popular with women. Now, what do you find to be the most rewarding part of what you do as an individual as a professional? I mean, is it the actual technical work? Or is it the consulting with clients and sort of helping their or making their cosmetic dreams come true? What is it for you?
Dr. Brandon Richland: I would say that the most rewarding part would be seeing my patients happy and being able to fulfill their dreams. You know, the patients in plastic surgery, specifically patients come in, and they have to talk about, you know, aspects of their body that essentially make them, you know, very uncomfortable or the least comfortable part of their body.
So being able to transform them, being able to, you know, be able to, you know, be able to sort of put them in this body that not put them in the body, but sort of improve that aspect that has, you know, sometimes maybe held them back and see them happy. At the end of the day, that’s the most rewarding part.
Beverly Hills Magazine: Yeah, it’s deeply personal and transformational. I mean, a woman can be extremely insecure about something that’s holding her back, you know, from being her best self. And after the procedure, she just has a whole new lease on life. She’s a whole new woman. I mean, it’s life-changing. I can see how that would be rewarding to be able to, for that to be the work of your hands. Now, what makes your work different from other plastic surgeons out there? Like, do you have, let’s say, like a signature in your work?
Dr. Brandon Richland: Yeah, so I think what sets me apart is trying to deliver what I call natural, plastic surgery. And I use that in the sense that, I don’t want to have my patients look like they’ve been overdone. We have seen in the past, especially Southern California, Beverly Hills, and Orange County. So I think patients who really seek me out, they want, natural plastic surgery, where they want to look a better version of themselves, but still look like themselves.
Beverly Hills Magazine: Yeah, absolutely. I think that’s hugely important. Even men, though, too, you know, they’re turning to plastic surgery as well. That’s the key. They want to look like themselves, just younger.
Dr. Brandon Richland: Yes. They don’t want to, you know, alter themselves to where they are losing sort of their natural look.
Beverly Hills Magazine: Now, how do you yourself prepare for surgery? Emotionally, emotionally, spiritually, what do you do?
Dr. Brandon Richland: So I would say that generally, in the morning, you know, surgery, I’m sort of running through the case or cases that I have for that day. So it’s sort of like a mental preparation, almost like a game plan, where the things that need to be fixed, and then I’m sort of putting together the plan on how to fix those. So it’s sort of preparations, it’s just a lot of sort of mental type of preparation for that.
Beverly Hills Magazine: Yeah, absolutely. So now, who or what have been your inspirations? Do you have any other doctors or artwork, or maybe a book, anything? Do you have what have been your personal inspirations in your life? For your work?
Dr. Brandon Richland: Yeah, I would say, my inspiration has been my father. And he’s always just, wanted the best for me. He worked his whole life to sort of give me the opportunity to become a physician and become a surgeon. And he’s the man that has made me I am today. He passed away last year.
Beverly Hills Magazine: So sorry. May he rest in peace. So now how do you balance your professional and personal life, if you even have a personal life, if you’ve been able to balance it at all?
Dr. Brandon Richland: Because I’m sure you’re very busy. But how do you do that? Yeah, so it’s, it’s like you said, it’s always a balance. It’s a maybe even more, it’s like a juggling act. You know, so I have a beautiful family, beautiful wife, I have beautiful young son, who’s 18 months old. And, you know, they really help keep me grounded. They give me purpose, they give me, you know, a sense of happiness. And, you know, so you just balance comes from trying to make time for the things that you find are important. And for me, that’s really trying to protect my family time. And as a surgeon, it can be difficult, I always want to do the best I can for my patients and be there for them.
Beverly Hills Magazine: So how do you take care of your spiritual self? You meditate, you pray? What do you do?
Dr. Brandon Richland: Yeah, so we, it’s actually funny, my wife and I say a small, I call it a prayer. You know, we pray for generally our health, you know, our happiness, and for the things we have. And, you know, thank God for everything we have. And we sort of make that a nightly routine. When we go to sleep, that’s great. And then, now that we have our son, we’ve tried to have our sort of family time Sunday mornings. He’s a little too young to go to church services. But we will sit down on the couch and, you know, try to watch our church service virtually on Sunday morning.
Beverly Hills Magazine: Oh, that’s beautiful. Yeah, the Bible says raise up a child in the way he should go. That means really in in in faith and having faith. And when he’s older, he won’t depart from it. So it’s important to cultivate that in children when they’re young. Actually, I had an amazing revelation the other day about prayer. And I was like, Oh, my gosh, you know, God gave us free will. So that’s why people are always like, “Well, why does God let bad things happen?” I’m like, well, because he’s letting us live out our free will. So God doesn’t intervene or interfere with our free will unless we ask Him. That’s what prayer is. It’s asking God to get involved.
And it’s asking God to get involved in our family, our business, our health, our money or whatever, you know, the Bible says if you have not because you ask not, so I’ve become really good at asking. The power of prayer is real. And, God does hear and answer prayers. So I love that you pray with your family every night. You know, it’s a great tradition and spiritual safekeeping to have in your life. Now, how do you how do you define success? What is success to you?
Dr. Brandon Richland: Yeah, that’s an interesting question. You know, obviously, it’s going to be different to different people. I think for me, success is when it comes down to the patients, having happy patients that I’ve met, or exceeded and fulfilled their dreams. So that’s where I get my enjoyment from, you know, doing this is just being able to put a smile on a patient’s face, make them happy, you know, give them a result that, you know, maybe they thought was not possible, or that other surgeons weren’t able to give them.
Beverly Hills Magazine: It’s been an honor to spend some time with you today. Is there anything you want to add or share?
Dr. Brandon Richland: No, you know, I really the honor was mine. It was very nice meeting you. And I really appreciate you taking the time. I love all the thoughtful questions. And I’m glad that we got to explore a little bit of the spirituality and, you know, my journey with God through this.
Beverly Hills Magazine: That’s the most important thing, because everything we do in this world should be an extension of, of our relationship with God and what we’re really ultimately, doing for him and for others. Because that is the highest divine law-it is to love God with all your heart, mind and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, isn’t it? I agree.
Dr. Brandon Richland: All right. Well, God bless you. I wish you limitless success, happiness, health, and wealth. And I look forward to meeting you very soon in the future in person.