From the moment one steps through the door of the spacious Le Medspa in Doylestown, one gets the distinct impression that this is anything but an ordinary, everyday medical practice.
In fact, the tranquil, elegant atmosphere of the 6,225-square-foot space is reminiscent of a four-star hotel lobby, complete with soft accent lighting, plush chairs and works of art from local artists depicting the beauty of the human form. The points of difference, however, extend far beyond the soothing environment to include Brian R. Buinewicz, M.D., and Anna Buinewicz, M.D., the husband-and-wife team of physicians at the helm of Le Medspa.
“I spend most of my waking hours in this office, so we wanted it to feel like home,” says Dr. Brian, adding that Le Medspa has a second location in Flemington, N.J. “We wanted to create something where people would want to come and spend their time.”
The two board-certified physicians complement each other perfectly to offer a full range of services and procedures to help each patient “be the best possible you,” as Dr. Anna says. Dr. Brian performs a variety of cosmetic procedures, including facelifts, brow lifts, blepharoplasty, neck lifts, abdominoplasty and rhinoplasty. He specializes in breast augmentations, lifts and reductions, as well as complex reconstructive procedures for patients who have had mastectomies in the aftermath of breast-cancer diagnoses. Dr. Anna spends most of her time performing a variety of minimally invasive cosmetic procedures, including Botox treatments, Liposonix body contouring, Clear + Brilliant laser skin rejuvenation, Ulthera and Thermage skin tightening, Cellupulse cellulite reduction and DermaSweep microdermabrasion to repair sun-damaged skin and reduce fine lines. She also offers injectables such as Belotero, Juvéderm, Perlane, Restylane, Voluma, Radiesse and Sculptra. All laser treatments, including laser hair removal, are performed by the physicians.
“It’s like having a toolbox full of tools,” says Dr. Brian. “This way I can recommend what is best for the patient, whether it is a surgical or nonsurgical intervention and not be limited to one or two procedures. I’m very conservative in my approach, and am always looking at the person as a whole. I won’t ever recommend doing four, five or six different things [on a patient]; the more things you take apart, the more that can go wrong! My focus is always on the patient’s priorities so I can deliver the results the patient is looking for.”
Le Medspa also provides skincare products of the highest pharmaceutical-grade quality, as well as massage services from certified massage therapist Lara Christiano and personal training at an onsite workout room (or at a patient’s home) with certified fitness trainer Todd Soura—even acupuncture. In addition, certified aesthetician Tracy Comans performs advanced facials and skin peels to revive damaged skin. All these offerings complement one other and in some cases go hand in hand, according to Dr. Anna.
“If someone is severely overweight and wants to address how they look and feel through surgery, we will make sure we are doing the right thing from a safety perspective and from the patient’s health perspective,” she says. “There are several co-morbidities that come into play when someone is overweight—heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure—so we will talk to them about weight management and nutrition, and we’ll also have them work with our personal trainer to get them into better shape before the surgery. By the end of it, they might not even need the surgery, so we’ve saved them from having to undergo the risk factors that come with surgery, and their overall health has improved.”
Fitness and nutrition are core components of the practice’s Serotonin-Plus Weight Loss program. The three-phase diet begins as a higher-protein, lower-carbohydrate diet and is modified with higher carbohydrate/fat levels over the course of a 12-week period. Dr. Anna says most patients lose 20 pounds or more and, because the physician-guided program centers on easily maintained lifestyle changes, can effectively keep the weight off.
‘A Whole Different Challenge’
The Buinewiczes’ personal history is as unique as their thriving practice. Proud parents of three sons, the doctors met on their first day of medical school at Jefferson Medical College. They got engaged during their second year at Jefferson, and they married in their third year.
Dr. Brian earned his undergraduate degree from Villanova University and his doctorate from Jefferson. He then completed his general surgery internship and residency at Abington Memorial Hospital, followed by his plastic surgery residency at Indiana University Medical Center in Indianapolis. In total, he has more than 20 years of experience in plastic surgery to his credit, along with multiple board certifications. In addition to his work at Le Medspa, he serves as chief of plastic surgery at Abington Memorial Hospital and maintains affiliations with other area hospitals, including Hunterdon Medical Center in Flemington.
“Ever since I was a kid I wanted to be a doctor,” he says. “I always loved science, and I couldn’t think of anything else I wanted to do other than being a rock star. I evolved into plastic surgery when I was doing my general surgery residency at Abington. With general surgery, you’re mostly taking parts out of people to make them better, but with plastic surgery you have the challenge of putting people back together to make them whole, or improving on what is already there. It’s a whole different challenge.
“There are also emotional aspects of working with patients as closely as we do,” he continues. “That’s especially true with my breast-reconstruction patients, and these are my favorite patients; they have been through so much and they are so brave. There’s the physical part of making them whole, but you’re really making them whole emotionally, too.”
Like her husband, Dr. Anna earned her doctorate from Jefferson, though she received her undergraduate degree from Beaver College (now known as Arcadia University) in Glenside. She did her internship and residency in family medicine at Chestnut Hill Hospital and then went on to work in family medicine at Doylestown Hospital and Abington Memorial Hospital. Before founding Le Medspa with Dr. Brian, she spent 14 years working as senior medical director for Merck & Co., with responsibility for the health and wellness of all Merck employees worldwide.
“Whenever someone comes in, we’ll sit with them and review their medical history and talk about if they have had anything done previously,” says Dr. Anna, noting that as many as 35 percent of Le Medspa’s patients are male. “Then I will hand them a mirror and ask, ‘What bothers you?’ They may think they want fillers and leave with Botox because that is better suited to what they need, or they may just walk out with homecare products.
“Our administrative staff, as well as our highly trained medical assistants and nurses, complement our seamless way of practicing medicine,” she adds.
Although the practice deals primarily in transformation, helping a patient realize the best possible version of him or her often requires a healthy dose of education.
“I like to spend a lot of time with each patient … so I can get to know them and what they are trying to achieve,” Dr. Brian says. “It’s a learning process on both sides, because sometimes the patient might think they know what they want but what they want is not the best thing for them to achieve the results they want to achieve.”
Le Medspa
www.buinewiczplasticsurgery.com
3655 Route 202
Georgetown Crossing, Suites 225 and 230
Doylestown, PA 18902
215-230-4013
Raritan Commons
200 Route 31 North, Suite 206
Flemington, NJ 08822
908-968-3529
Photograph by Allure West Studios
