Mark Vincent Sofonio MD FACS

Plastic surgery and skin rejuvenation treatments post COVID-19

By June Allan Corrigan
Photography by Ethan Kaminksky

Talk about a study in contrasts. When the coronavirus caused the entire world to hit pause, the Sofonio Plastic Surgery Center in Rancho Mirage actually grew busier than ever during the last two years. “Plastic surgery was one of the fortunate spared fields. Since patients couldn’t travel or go to cultural events, surgery became a possibility instead,” said Dr. Sofonio. Stuck at home with time on their hands, many individuals opted to undergo larger procedures which involved longer downtime but yielded more dramatic results. More significantly, they chose to have their face lifts, face peels, tummy tucks, breast enhancement surgeries and more performed at the 5,000-square-foot, selfcontained Sofonio Plastic Surgery Center which features its own state-of-theart operative theater and recovery area.

The Sofonio Plastic Surgery Center is a COVID-free zone and every precaution is being taken to remain so. All protocols set forth by federal and state government agencies and the Riverside County Office of Public Health are strictly followed. “Our center is only utilized for well patient aesthetic surgery. Everyone on staff has been double vaccinated, boostered and we only operate on one patient at a time,” added Dr. Sofonio. It is steps like these that give patients the utmost confidence to move forward with their cosmetic procedures at his AAAHC accredited facility.

As the pandemic recedes, a new era is dawning. “We are already starting to see patients wanting faster procedures requiring minimal downtime and less anesthesia,” says Dr. Sofonio. People are interested in having a mini facelift done, or a mini chin tuck or an eyelid procedure as their social calendar expands. “Procedures that can be done under local anesthesia, similar to what they would experience during a trip to the dentist. People want to drive in and drive out and resume their active lifestyle within a few days.” He also expects the demand for non-invasive procedures which revolve around skin rejuvenation and body contouring to increase in coming months. It will be a return to a trend that has only grown over the past 15 years.

Sedentary lifestyles have led to unfortunate weight gain for some. “We’re calling it the COVID-15 because everybody seems to have gained 10 to 15 pounds!” Luckily, the Sofonio Plastic Surgery Center offers several solutions to the problem. Patients can decide to have liposuction performed or opt instead for the body contouring and fat reducing technologies of either Vanquish or CoolSculpting. Either way, swimsuit season won’t seem quite so daunting.

As the largest provider of Allergan products in the desert — including Botox and Juvederm — the practice is consistently ranked a top few hundred filler injector out of 40,000 providers in the country. There are currently six companies distributing fillers and neurotoxins in the global marketplace and the Sofonio Plastic Surgery Center is proud to offer all these products. Dr. Sofonio is already seeing an uptick in requests for these procedures and products. “There are more choices now. More products available at all different price points including entry level.”

Forever committed to embracing the changing nature of his chosen specialty, Dr. Sofonio has seamlessly folded many of the truly remarkable non-operative procedures available today into his practice. But he remains, first and foremost, a surgeon. Widely published and having lectured extensively, Dr. Sofonio is recognized as one of the top plastic surgeons in the country. Consistently named one of the top doctors in the Coachella Valley each year, he and his team of professionals have met the challenges presented by the pandemic and effectively overcome them.

TOP DOCTOR

A Top Doctor for 18 consecutive years.

Medical School: University of California, Los Angeles, 1988
Residency: Plastic Surgery, Medical College of Ohio, Toledo, 1992-94; General Surgery, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, 1988-91
Fellowship: Burn Surgery, New York Medical College, Valhalla, 1991-92; Cosmetic, Connel Surgery Center, Santa Ana, 1994-95
Board Certification: American Board of Plastic Surgery, certified: 1997, 2005 and 2017
Special Interest: Dr. Sofonio has a special interest and extensive experience in performing aesthetic surgery. He specializes in all forms of facial rejuvenation and body-contouring surgery.
Hospital Affiliations: Eisenhower Health; Desert Regional Medical Center
Professional Memberships: Fellow, American College of Surgeons; Fellow, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery; American Society of Plastic Surgeons; American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery; American Burn Association; American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery; American Medical Association.