Why Patients Choose Dr. Lacerna

For Over 20 years, Dr. Melinda Lacerna has provided exceptional cosmetic services to her patients.

Dr. Melinda Lacerna is a distinguished figure in the field of plastic surgery, holding double board certification and based in Bradenton, Florida. With over 20 years of dedicated practice, she is the founder and owner of LA Plastic Surgery, The Skin Plasma Center, LA Skin Med Spa, and Elite Aesthetic Surgery Center. Her specialization in facial plastic surgery and skin resurfacing has positioned her as a leading expert, notably authoring significant works such as the “Non-surgical Facial Rejuvenation and Skin Resurfacing” chapter in the 9th edition of Grabb and Smith’s Plastic Surgery. Additionally, she is in the process of co-editing and contributing to “The Skin Book,” aimed at offering an exhaustive guide on skin and procedures for plastic surgeons. Her prolific output includes numerous publications and ongoing research, further solidifying her reputation in the field.

 

Dr. Lacerna’s involvement extends beyond clinical and scholarly contributions to include substantial collaboration with multiple aesthetic companies across the United States. She serves as a consultant, physician trainer, and key opinion leader (KOL) for leading organizations such as APYX Medical (Renuvion), Energist (Neogen PSR), Cytrellis (Ellacor), Evolutionary Biologics (exosomes), Allumiere MD, and AnteAge MD (skin care), underlining her influential role in shaping advancements in aesthetic medicine. Her accolades are numerous, including recent honors such as the “Best Surgical Facial Rejuvenation Case for 2023” and a gold medal at the ISAPS World Congress in Athens, Greece, for “Best Face Presentation.” An active participant in the global plastic surgery dialogue, she is slated to deliver over 15 presentations worldwide in 2024. Dr. Lacerna’s passion extends to innovating minimally invasive facial aesthetic surgeries, integrating classical techniques with advanced plasma technology and regenerative medicine to achieve optimal patient outcomes. Her commitment to education and collaboration is evident in her invitation to plastic surgeons globally to learn and train at her centers, reflecting her dedication to advancing the field and fostering professional growth.

Dr. Lacerna

- Dr. Melinda Lacerna 

Double Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

She is also currently writing the manuscript for “No more ectropion: Lower Eyelid Rejuvenation with helium RF plasma and fat grafting” (also a technique she pioneered in order to have less complications for patients) for the Aesthetic Surgery Journal. This is a peer-reviewed paper she presented at The Aesthetic Meeting in Miami, FL in April 2023.

Dr. Melinda Lacerna is double board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery. She is a fellow the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and is a member of The Aesthetic Society (TAS), the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS),  the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), and the American Academy of Anti-aging Medicine (A4M). Dr. Lacerna obtained her medical degree from the University of California, Irvine. She received her general surgery training at Kaiser Permanente in Los Angeles and her plastic surgery training at Temple University in Philadelphia.

More recently, she was an invited speaker to the following meetings:

  • Keynote Speaker: Ellacor Tampa Plastic Surgery and Dermatology Meeting, June 2023, Tampa, FL: “Ellacor Applications in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery”

  • The Aesthetic Society (TAS), April 2023, Miami, FL: “No More Ectropion: Lower Eyelid Rejuvenation with helium RF plasma and fat grafting”

  • Webinar Speaker, March 2023: “Aesthetic Surgery Applications of Dermal Fibroblast Exosomes”

  • The American Brazilian Aesthetic Meeting (ABAM), February 2023, Park City, Utah: “Minimally Invasive Browlift with helium RF plasma”

  • Keynote Speaker: Renuvion Dinner at the Women Plastic Surgeons (WPS) Meeting, January 2023, Charleston, SC: “My Renuvion Journey with 600 cases”

  • Webinar Speaker, January 2023: “Aesthetic Surgery Applications of Dermal Fibroblast Exosomes”

  • International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), September 2022, Istanbul, Turkey: “Minimally Invasive Browlifts”

  • Vegas Cosmetic Surgery (VCS), June 2022: “Minimally Invasive Browlifts”

  • Renuvion 2nd Annual User’s Meeting, March 2022, Las Vegas: “Minimally Invasive Browlift”

  • The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) in March 2022: “Plasma Resurfacing and Facelifts: The Next Level Facial Rejuvenation”

  • APYX Global Sales Meeting, Dallas TX, January 2022: “My experience with Renuvion”

  • International Society of Plastic Surgery (ISAPS)meeting in September 2021 in Vienna, Austria: “Scarless Facial Rejuvenation”

  • The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) January 2021: “Adding skin tightening device to your practice”

Upcoming Presentations:

2023:
  •  ISAPS 2023, September 2023 “No more ectropion: Lower eyelid rejuvenation with fat grafting and helium rf plasma resurfacing”, Athens, Greece
  • ASPS 2023, October 2023, Speaker and Moderator for Peri-orbital Rejuvenation, Austin, TX
  2024:
  • ISAPS 2024, June 2024; Invited Faculty, (topic pending) Cartagena, ColumbiaIllinois Society of Plastic Surgery, July 2024; Invited Speaker, (topic pending) Chicago, Illinois

She has participated in many surgical mission trips, including to Africa and the Philippines, in order to treat children with cleft lips. In addition, Dr. Lacerna is a published artist. Her oil painting “Les Fleurs de Chateaux” was featured on the cover of the Kaiser Permanente national journal in 2006. She is an avid oil painter, mixed media and mosaic artist. She strives to achieve attractive, natural-looking aesthetic outcomes for her patients. Lastly, Dr. Lacerna is a devoted “gym rat” and enjoys cross fit, running and scuba diving. She truly believes in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and life balance to achieve better versions of ourselves.

 

A consultation with Dr. Lacerna is like confiding in a close friend about insecurities you have about your appearance. As a woman, she listens very closely to your concerns and hopes. She understands exactly how women want to look and feel. Women want their face to have that “natural glow” during a candlelit dinner or a reunion, but not look like anything “surgical” was done. She understands that men also care as much abut their appearance, but they do not want to look overdone. As an artist and surgeon, she carefully selects hidden access points during surgery to produce almost invisible scars.

What Our Beautiful Clients Say About Us

Hours: Monday – Friday 8am – 9pm

Phone: 941-954-4500

Address: 5301 4th Ave. Cir. E. Bradenton, FL 34208

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