MANCHESTER, NH – Talk with Dr. Emese Kalnoki-Kis, a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon at Elliot Hospital, and it is easy to see what motivates her. “It’s an amazing joy to help someone along, to help them feel whole again,” she says.
Dr. Kalnoki-Kis – who specializes in breast reduction surgery, breast reconstruction after cancer, body contouring procedures after weight loss, wound care, and facial skin cancer repair – joined Elliot Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery earlier this year and is now accepting new patients.
Medical Matters caught up with Dr. Kalnoki-Kis recently to get her insights on the field of plastic surgery. It turns out that in her limited spare time, she is also an artist, focusing on oil painting. Her inspirations include Georgia O’Keefe and during our interview, Dr. Kalnoki-Kis explained artistic ability can complement one’s work as a plastic surgeon. In fact, she shared that it wasn’t that uncommon for physicians in the field of plastic surgery to also have interest in art or photography. “Many plastic surgeons I know have an artistic eye,” she says.
She received her Doctor of Medicine from Wright State University, in her home state of Ohio, after earning a Master of Science degree in Biology and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from the University of Chicago, where she also completed a minor in Egyptology. She completed five years of general surgery training in the integrated surgical residency program at Banner Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona.
She went on to the University of Louisville in Kentucky for two years of training in plastic surgery, followed by specialty fellowship training in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with Dr. Dennis Hammond, an internationally recognized breast and body surgeon.
Dr. Kalnoki-Kis shared that it was New Hampshire’s four seasons that prompted her and her family to move to the Granite State.
Now in the field for several years, Dr. Kalnoki-Kis says that technological advances have had a major favorable impact on the field, explaining that many surgeries can be now done with less pain, lower risk of infection, and faster recovery. Procedures using the process of fat grafting from one part of the body to another can help reduce scarring and restore blood flow to an injured area.
“I love the work I do,” she said. “I’m able to help people get back to where they were before, so they can feel good about themselves and live their day-to-day lives. I strive to provide excellent care by approaching each of my patients as unique individuals. With open and honest communication, my goal is to restore a patient’s wholeness of body and spirit.”
To learn more about Elliot Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, please call (603) 314-6450.
