Asian American plastic surgeon a favorite in California and abroad
Dr. Hugh Vũ, voted the top plastic surgeon in the Central Valley by San Joaquin Magazine readers for the past two years, hopes to make each patient a renewed person.

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STOCKTON, Calif. — Dr. Hugh Vu, voted the top plastic surgeon in the Central Valley by San Joaquin Magazine readers for the past two years, hopes to make each patient a renewed person. But he isn’t just about helping the rich and famous. Next month, Vu will take his expertise to Asia, traveling on a mission to Vi?t Nam and the Philippines as well as to China to aid the victims of the recent earthquake. Vu is part of a team of doctors and other medical professionals that provides free reconstructive surgery through medical missions sponsored by Rotoplast, an organization linked to Rotary Clubs around the world. He has operated in globally in indigent areas of Peru, Bolivia and Asia, performing surgical procedures on children who would otherwise be unable to afford it. Born in Sài Gòn, Vu immigrated to Southern California in 1976. The eldest son of two physicians, he intended to become a neurologist, but was eventually drawn to plastic surgery. Vu attended University of the Pacific in Stockton and then Loma Linda University in Southern California for his medical degree. After doing a residency at San Joaquin General Hospital, he did fellowships at UC Davis’ Shriners Hospital for Children of Northern California, the University of Oklahoma, Lenox Hill Hospital In New York, and the Manhattan Eye and Ear Institute. Today, he juggles a private practice in Stockton with being a chief surgeon at Shriners Hospital and an associate professor at the UC Davis School of Medicine. The misconceptions of plastic surgery are many because it is a field of non-insurance, according to Vu. Many claim to be cosmetic surgeons, which is different from being board-certified plastic surgeons, who must uphold regulations set by the American Board of Plastic Surgeons. “There are a lot of people trying to get in it because it’s a lot of cash — money drives it,” Vu said. “Hollywood and Dr. Ray of Dr. 90210 is not what I’m about.” Then there is the myth of plastic surgery as a means of losing weight. Vu emphasizes that plastic surgery is contour and shaping. “You cannot lose weight from plastic surgery, it’s just not possible. You still need to exercise and eat the right foods.” San Francisco personal trainer Nate Miyaki agrees that plastic surgery works from the outside in. “While breast augmentation and liposuction might give you the look you are after, it does little to improve your overall health profile,” Miyaki said. “Eating right and exercising works from the inside out. Not only will you improve your body composition through training and a proper diet, but you will also be doing things like reducing cholesterol, blood pressure, and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease and cancer.” The most sought-out procedures are a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) and breast augmentation. Good candidates are healthy, do not have life-threatening illnesses or medical conditions that can impair healing, are non-smokers, and those with specific goals in mind for body contouring, according to Vu. Vu’s advice to the Asian Americans interested in plastic surgery is to first do research and have a consultation to learn about the procedure, which will include a discussion of goals and an individual evaluation. “Vu has a special way of caring for his patients,” said Lisalou Sison-Nosce, a patient of Vu’s and a real estate broker in the Bay Area. “That’s what makes him top of his game.”
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