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It is so exciting to be a part of Orange County Plastic Surgery and to contribute to the great work performed by the entire team here, led by Dr. Bunkis. I am the Physician Assistant in the practice. Some of you may wonder what a Physician Assistant is or what they do. PAs are medical professionals, educated in the medical model to complement physician training, and assist the physician in many aspects of the practice. PAs are trained to take medical histories, perform physical examinations, order and interpret laboratory tests, diagnose illness, develop and manage treatment plans, prescribe medications, and assist in surgery. We are initially trained as general practitioners (meaning we learn a little bit of everything) and thereafter, most choose areas in which to specialize – I chose plastic surgery, but PAs can be found in any specialty of medicine.

I completed 4 years of undergraduate education at Chapman University here in Orange County and then pursued my master’s degree in PA studies at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Boston. During my PA studies, I rotated in seven core specialties and had two elective rotations in plastic surgery—one with Dr. Bunkis here in Orange County and the other with Dr. Deborah Ekstrom in Worcester, MA. They perfected my injection techniques for both Beauty injections and fillers, taught me how to use various lasers, microneedling, and other office procedures. I was also taught surgical assisting skills and how to do minor surgical procedures like torn earlobe repairs, repair of lacerations, skin lesion excisions and so forth in a way that minimizes scarring.

There was a heavy emphasis on pre- and post-operative patient care, cosmetic treatments, skin care and general patient care. My abilities and knowledge have also been reinforced through official training courses with Allergan, Mentor, Galderma, BioTE, ZO Skin Health, and other reps. Dr. Bunkis and Ekstrom are both happy with my skills and allow me to take care of their needs with cosmetic injections, hormone pelleting, and more. I take care of the other staff’s Beauty injections and filler needs but Dr. Bunkis takes the time to give me my Beauty injections when I need it. I basically offer the same treatments Drs. Bunkis and Ekstrom offer, but at a reduced price.

So next time you think to yourself, “How can Ivanna help me?” think of all the different treatments we offer in-office. I offer Beauty injections/Dysport and filler injectables, IPL and laser genesis treatments, skin care, chemical peels, radiofrequency treatments, BioTE hormone pelleting, laceration repairs, mole/skin tag removal, torn earlobe repairs, pre- and post-operative care, and anything else in between. I make sure that patients get the best care possible, and I am a resource to meet any of their needs.

So give us a call and come in and see me. I hope to see you on the schedule and to meet you soon! Don’t forget to ask about our ZO Glow Peel plus Beauty injections or Dysport special during the month of September! See you soon!

If you would like to contact Dr. Ekstrom or Dr. Bunkis,

For CA, please call 949-888-9700 or visit our websites at: www.orangecountyplasticsurgery.com

Or for MA location, call 508-755-4825 or visit
www.salisburyps.com

You can respond in the comment section below or write to me at orangecountyplasticsurgery.com or Dr. Ekstrom at mds@salisburyps.com

Thanks for staying in touch and for your feedback!