Beyond the mirror, this Atlanta surgeon explains how confidence transforms from the inside out
Dr. Sybile Val has spent over a decade as a board certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon in Atlanta, but her work extends far beyond the operating room. At Artisan Plastic Surgery, she specializes in aesthetic procedures while using her platform to advocate for female empowerment, mentorship in medicine, and helping women navigate wellness and health care challenges.
You’ve been practicing as a plastic and reconstructive surgeon for over 10 years. What made you decide to expand your mission beyond the operating room and become an advocate for female empowerment?
I truly believe as a plastic surgeon, I’ve always been an advocate for women. Plastic surgery predominantly takes care of women. Part of my job is to talk to patients about their bodies, about the changes we want to make, and at the same time, I’m ensuring that I’m helping them do this in the safest way possible. In many ways, I’m doing more of the same, just on a broader scale.
How do you help women improve their health outcomes?
The majority of women coming to see me are coming to improve and enhance normal body parts. They are not necessarily diseased. I don’t manage blood pressure or diabetes. But what I do take care of is how women feel about themselves. The wonderful connection between plastic surgery and psychiatry is really a beautiful world to be a part of.
When someone comes to me to talk about a breast augmentation or a tummy tuck, they tell me not what they see in the mirror, but what they feel in their heart. Oftentimes, they’re not saying they just want big breasts. They want to feel more comfortable in their wedding gown. They want to feel more confident when they put on a pair of jeans. I often tell people, plastic surgery is not about what you and I see, it’s about what they feel.
You’ve spoken about the importance of checking the big box in someone’s overall wellness journey. What does that mean and why are those big milestones so critical?
Checking the big box in life sets you up for success in all of your future endeavors. Oftentimes, you’ll meet someone who didn’t accomplish a goal, and for the rest of their lives, they’ll talk about that. I’ll meet people who tell me they took the MCATs or thought about medicine, and it doesn’t matter if it was 5 years ago or 50 years ago, they still remember it because that was a big goal for them, and not checking that box follows them. If there’s a really big goal that you want, that you truly feel is attainable and achievable, it’s really important to go all in.
Some people are kind of living their lives, taking the advice of their parents, not truly knowing what they want to do quite yet. But once you make the discovery, it’s really important to try to check that box. If you are an artist who was forced to go to medical school, you need to find a way to become that artist so that you’re not constantly thinking in the back of your mind about what you didn’t do.
As a surgeon, a woman, and presumably juggling multiple responsibilities, how do you personally navigate parenting, profession, and problems while still thriving through it all?
I believe that I’m doing it well, but you’d have to ask my kids. I’m sure they think I’m failing on multiple levels. But honestly, I really enjoy every hat that I wear, and because of that, I’m able to navigate through life in a way that works for me.
Because I’m in private practice, I’ve been able to carve out the family time that I need and the personal time that I need. I enjoy the opportunity to mentor. There are things that are important to you, and when they are important to you, you make time for them. The most important thing is that we’re all doing our best. There are times I tell people, this is all I have to give, and it is enough.
A lot of patients often struggle with advocating for themselves in health care settings. What advice do you give to people who feel dismissed or unheard by their doctors?
Even I, as a patient, have had to find myself needing to advocate for myself. When we’re a patient, we’re in a position of vulnerability. Oftentimes, the person at work is just going through their regular day, checking boxes, getting the work done, and sometimes there’s a disconnect with the humanity of medicine.
The first thing I believe everyone should understand is that just like the person sitting across from you, there are a million things going on. Just because someone is talking to you and they’re present doesn’t mean they’re not thinking about their dying grandma or their sick kid. The person taking care of you sometimes needs to be pulled into the present moment. One of the things that I do when I feel that someone’s not hearing me is I ask them, do you need a minute? Because I’m not quite sure if you’re hearing what I’m saying.
When you give someone that opportunity to pause, they’re either gonna think you’re crazy or they’re going to stop and say, “hmm, did I miss something here?” Most people in health care are in health care because they want to help people. But because of the routine days and the repetitiveness, sometimes a little bit of that is lost.
I often say, no one has ever calmed down because someone told them to calm down. The other way, which I think is really the best way, is to live as healthy a life as possible. If you’re really thinking about avoiding diabetes, avoiding hypertension, you have to be proactive, and you have to be proactive early. It’s always better to avoid the road than to try to navigate a bumpy road.
In your experience as a surgeon, have you seen racial disparities or inequalities show up in health care outcomes, and what needs to change?
Absolutely. It’s obvious that there are disparities in medicine. We know that there aren’t as many Black physicians, female physicians, Hispanic physicians, Native American physicians. The question is, how do we change it? I truly believe that mentorship will change this. At one point during my training, I went to a conference as a plastic surgery resident, and the majority of the Black faces were staff members cleaning up the tables.
There was one Black female plastic surgeon that walked by, and I saw her, and I kind of froze. I introduced myself to her, and after meeting her, I realized I wasn’t alone in this space. But I thought about, were people who looked like me looking for me? No one called and reached out to me when I was younger in training.
Now, as someone who’s older in medicine, I look for people, and I call them. I approach them and say, “hey, how’s that program going? If you need anything, you can always reach out.” To let them know that there are people out there silently rooting for them.
You’re passionate about teaching women the art of seizing opportunity. How does that apply specifically to women taking control of their health and wellness?
I really do believe almost everything that we desire is closer to us than we realize. There are small opportunities right around us that can lead to the bigger and greater opportunities that we’re looking for, but oftentimes, we overlook them. Every encounter that I have with someone, I’m always trying to find what I’m supposed to learn.
Sometimes it’ll be one small conversation that’ll lead to a shift in your mindset that’ll change your life. Or it’ll be an introduction that you had no idea was coming that’ll change your life. I think it’s really important to take advantage of the small opportunities around you so that you can seize the larger opportunities ahead.
Beyond your work as a surgeon, what legacy do you hope to leave behind, and what cultural changes do you hope to see?
I think that change takes time. I often compare America to a rebellious teenager. Eventually, America will become a full grown man. In the process, we have to understand that things aren’t going to change immediately, but change is going to come, and we have to ask ourselves what we can do to assist. If all we can do is be the best versions of ourselves, that’s enough. If what we can do is mentor someone, that’s enough. Over time, these small little steps will lead to huge progress.
Dr. Val practices at Artisan Plastic Surgery in Atlanta, where she focuses on aesthetic procedures of the breast and body, including breast augmentations, tummy tucks, and mommy makeovers. Find her on Instagram @valplasticsurgery.