by Emma Sylvia
Some people might think of only celebrity culture when the topic of “plastic surgery” is brought up. However, Dr. Rahul Vemula of V Plastic Surgery in West Long Branch lauds how plastic surgery can give a patient an entirely transformed life, from cosmetic changes to breast reconstruction after a cancer diagnosis. Dr. Vemula talks about his own medical journey and what V Plastic Surgery offers Monmouth County residents.
Rotating Interests
Dr. Vemula, a resident of Oceanport, originally hails from North Jersey. His medical journey began at Rutgers University, where he first majored in business before pivoting to medical school due to an interest in his biology courses. After matriculating into Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and working for Johnson & Johnson, he was intrinsically drawn to taking care of patients. With a background as an EMT, and a newfound passion, Vemula knew immediately what course he wished to follow.
“I was drawn to surgery…You’re using your hands to help people,” said Dr. Vemula, who originally wanted to pursue cardiology or heart surgery. Dr. Vemula was first exposed to the world of plastic surgery during rotations in medical school. “I thought it was the last thing I would want to do,” he remarked, but one patient encounter changed not just his entire outlook on the field, but his entire life.
“One of my patients on my plastic surgery rotation was a young woman who was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was a devastating diagnosis; she was in her early thirties and had no family history [of breast cancer] – it was totally unexpected. I was having a conversation with her, and she said her plastic surgeon gave her hope after her diagnosis. She said, ‘Cancer took away my breasts, but plastic surgery made me whole again. It gave me a new lease on life.’I was able to participate in her other surgeries, [watching her] go from the mastectomy with no breasts to full reconstruction. She was cancer-free, living her life, and I was very grateful. That’s when I decided what I wanted to do.”
Plastic surgery became his medical specialty. “We operate on pretty much any part of the body. All walks of life, all ages – sometimes it’s cosmetic, sometimes it’s reconstructive. It had a good mix of what I wanted to do.”
A Practice of His Own
After 17 years of training – including time at Monmouth Medical Center which inspired his move from North Jersey to the Jersey Shore – he got his first job working at another plastic surgery practice. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Dr. Vemula decided to start his own practice.
“Some people called me crazy. I definitely had some sleepless nights. I had two kids and two mortgages. ‘How is this going to work?’” When asked if his sleepless nights were worth it, Dr. Vemula smiles: “Absolutely. I love what I do.”
Dr. Vemula and his staff, on the average day, see patients, complete new consultations, do post-op visits, and follow-ups. Every other day, Dr. Vemula himself is performing surgery, from breast reconstruction to cosmetic procedures like tummy tucks, breast augmentations, reductions, gynecomastia, botox, fillers, and more.
Dr. Vemula celebrates the growing cultural acceptance of these procedures. “Over the past ten years, getting these procedures has become less taboo. In the past, people felt ashamed; now, it’s more out in the open.”
Of course, the advent of medical procedures has to come up when speaking about the field. Dr. Vemula himself, alongside his fellow med students, would watch Grey’s Anatomy and poke fun at the dramatic inaccuracies. Dr. Vemula, however, elaborates on another media: “In plastic surgery, the most common question I get is, ‘Doc, do you watch Botched?’ Sometimes I get frustrated with shows like that.”
He explains, “I wish that what was emphasized more was that the people they treat got their surgeries from practitioners who are completely unqualified. I had to pass the board exam – a rigorous exam – to become a board-certified plastic surgeon. I think it’s important for the general population to research their plastic surgeon and make sure they have the experience and training and are board-certified.”
Monmouth’s Plastic Surgery
V Plastic Surgery is truly Monmouth County focused – and Dr. Vemula celebrates this, especially as a local resident. “The beauty of living in the community where you work is that you treat people in your community. ‘You took care of my mom, you helped my son in an accident.’ You see them at the grocery store, at the mall. That makes such a big impact.”
He continued, “The biggest honor is when another physician refers their family to you – we know who we send our family members to. When I get a patient who says, ‘My husband is one of your colleagues, my son told me to come to you’? That’s a great honor.”
Volunteering to give back to the community is also important to Dr. Vemula, particularly events focused on breast cancer awareness. Every year he takes part in the Pt. Pleasant Beach Strides Against Cancer Walk, and supports the charity “I Pink I Can,” established by a local breast surgeon.
Like other Monmouth residents, Vermula and his staff at V Plastic Surgery are excited for Netflix’s grand opening in Fort Monmouth. “I have friends ask, ‘You think you’ll get any celebrity patients?’ I answer, ‘If I did, I wouldn’t be able to tell you!’”
The point that Dr. Vemula wants to drive home is that plastic surgery isn’t just for the rich and famous – it’s accessible, and many procedures are covered by insurance. Beyond the benefits provided for the individual patients, the work done by Dr. Vermula also helps to improve health outcomes through clinical trials. The office is currently involved in a clinical trial for women with breast implants who have experienced capsular contraction, a condition where the breast implants become hard and painful and must be removed. The trial involves implementation of a type of mesh that is thought to reduce the chances of the condition recurring. Patients who qualify may get all or part of the surgery costs covered.
And, just as one woman’s plastic surgery for her breast reconstruction years ago gave her a new lease on life, Dr. Vemula and V Plastic Surgery promise to offer residents of Monmouth County a chance for their lives to be entirely transformed.
For more information about V Plastic Surgery, visit doctorvnj.com or their office at 107 Monmouth Rd., Bldg C Suite 201, West Long Branch
