Knowledge is an integral part of doing anything well, and when it comes to plastic surgery, there is no substitute for knowledge and top-notch training. Following a career to the fullest means taking the time to pursue the best and most complete training possible, and taking this experience and running a successful practice. For Dr. Parham Ganchi, the road to success passed through many locations, but the dream of becoming a plastic surgeon remained despite the challenges of moving from place to place.
By the time he finished high school, Dr. Ganchi had attended nine different schools. His father, a general surgeon, and his mother, a cosmetic dermatologist, were the most influential factors in his choice of a career. As he stated, "We moved around quite a bit while my parents were training. Going to so many different schools was challenging but made us very good at adapting to new situations and people. I haven’t had a friend that I've known since second grade. I learned to make new friends."
Dr. Ganchi graduated from Millburn High School in NJ. He began his extensive training with a BA in molecular biology from Princeton University. He received a scholarship to attend Duke University Medical School where, over a period of seven years, he completed his MD and a PhD in molecular biology. Typically, only five years are required to obtain certification in plastic surgery. Dr. Ganchi spent eight years at Havard Medical School and became double board-certified. For the first five years, he studied general surgery and obtained board certification in surgery. The final three years focused on plastic surgery and he became board-certified in plastic surgery. "This complete training is important in that it gives me a degree of expertise so I'm comfortable taking care of anyone and operating anywhere in the body," said Dr. Ganchi. "I'm not worried about the surgery and can focus on achieving a beautiful result. Also, if a problem should arise, I'll be able to take care of that as well." Dr. Ganchi taught plastic surgery as an assistant professor of plastic surgery to student surgeons at UMDNJ.
As for his specialty, Dr. Ganchi remarked, "People assume that plastic surgery equals cosmetic surgery. Actually, plastic surgery is a very broad field with extensive training. It includes hand surgery, craniofacial surgery, microsurgery, reconstructive surgery, and of course cosmetic surgery. This was all part of my training. In fact, I taught and performed the full range of plastic surgery while I was an assistant professor at UMDNJ. Since then, I've narrowed my scope exclusively to cosmetic surgery of the face, breasts and body." He added, "Drawing on my experience and training as a general surgeon and plastic surgeon makes me better as a specialist in cosmetic surgery." Not only does Dr. Ganchi performs popular procedures such as liposuction, tummy tuck, breast augmentation, nose surgery, and facial enhancement, but he is also experienced in many lesser known procedures such as labiaplasty, calf and buttock implants, and ear pinning.
While teaching at UMDNJ, one of Dr. Ganchi's most rewarding cases involved a three-year-old boy who ripped off his little finger in the spokes of a bicycle. Upon being told at another hospital that nothing could be done and that the finger would remain amputated, the ambulance driver mentioned Dr. Ganchi to the boy's parents. They transferred their son to his care. After several hours of delicate microsurgery, the finger was reattached successfully. The boy, who is now seven, comes back with his parents every Christmas to visit Dr. Ganchi.
With regard to the way he runs his practice, Dr. Ganchi said, "Any form of surgery including cosmetic surgery is a serious undertaking and should not be taken lightly. Hopefully, my credentials and certification put our patients at ease, knowing they will get the best care. Beyond credentials, when someone comes to see us, they leave feeling comfortable, feeling this was a professional and friendly environment. They don't feel intimidated, the doctor doesn't rush them, and they are treated as someone who is part of the family. It really is a "family practice". They walk out of here feeling good about themselves before they've even had a procedure."
Dr. Ganchi and his wife have four children, three boys and a girl, ranging in age from seven weeks to six years. His youngest is often in the office and is a favorite of his patients. His advice to young people is that "you have to work hard in order to be successful at anything. Don't cut corners. The key is to love what you do. Then it will not seem like hard work. If you love something, then absolutely go all out after it. I love what I'm doing. I'm like the kids who won't get off their video games. When I go home, I'm still thinking about plastic surgery. When I'm in the office I'm doing plastic surgery. I love doing this and that's ideal."
Success can mean different things to different people, and for Dr. Ganchi, "Success is being happy; being happy with your family, work, the whole mix. Any one of them can affect the other. So long as you and the people around you are happy, then you're successful."

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