Dr Eric Swanson Biography
Originally from Canada, Dr. Swanson attended medical school at the University of
Toronto, where he graduated with honors at the age of 22. He completed his residency in
plastic surgery in 1988, including a fellowship in cosmetic surgery, and started practice
the next year in Kansas City. After serving as the Director of the Cleft Palate Clinic at
Children’s Mercy Hospital from 1991 to 1995, he dedicated his efforts to advancements
in cosmetic surgery, entering full-time private practice in 1995.
In 1998, Dr. Swanson opened the Swanson Center for Cosmetic and Laser Surgery. The
adjoining Leawood Surgery Center was the first licensed ambulatory surgery center
specializing in cosmetic surgery in Kansas City. Dr. Swanson was among the first plastic
surgeons in the area to adopt ultrasonic liposuction and laser resurfacing in his practice,
and he now has one of the largest experiences in these techniques in the country.
In 2009, Dr. Swanson authored the Ideal Look series, subtitled “The New Science of
Cosmetic Surgery.” Featuring hundreds of photographs and patient testimonials, these
four hard-cover volumes answer the questions that any prospective patient might have
about cosmetic surgery, without any marketing hype.
Dr. Swanson is known among his colleagues for his unflinching attention to detail and
insistence on scientific evaluation. His pioneering work in liposuction has clarified
what happens to the fat layer and circulating fat levels after liposuction, revealing
some unsuspected possible health benefits for the first time. His award-winning study
of liposuction quantitated the reduction of the fat layer using MRI measurements. In
a widely-cited study published in 2012 in the Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive
Surgery, Dr. Swanson showed that the fat removed by liposuction does not return to the
same places or to other areas of the body, as once thought.
Dr. Swanson’s measurements of changes in apparent age after facelifts – presented at the
2010 meeting of the prestigious American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery – proved
for the first time that any rejuvenative technique could deliver on its promise to make
people look younger. Convinced that “what we measure, we improve,” in 2012, Dr.
Swanson published a new system for measuring the results of cosmetic breast surgery.
His outcome studies, which include in-person interviews with over 1000 patients over
5 years, provide vital new information documenting patient satisfaction and improved
quality of life after cosmetic surgery.
Dr. Eric Swanson is certified by the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada and is a
member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. He devotes his practice exclusively
to cosmetic surgery and its advancement through clinical research.