When I was a resident and anticipating with excitement my fellowship in Oculofacial Plastic Surgery (there were less the 15 positions in the entire country), I spent hours watching videotapes of Dr. Stephen Bosniak performing Cosmetic and Reconstructive surgery. I admired his gift as a teacher through his writing and through his demonstration of surgical techniques. I spent so much time watching his surgeries that I found myself literally hearing his voice while I performed surgical procedures during my residency. I appreciated how he focused on Cosmetic Rejuvenation of the eyes and face and communicated through popular media the importance of a specialized approach to cosmetic surgery. It was a thrill for me to invite him to speak at one of our meetings and to shake his hand and meet him in person. As an aspiring Oculofacial Plastic Surgeon, that time was very special for me. I always perceived that my role was to take his ideas and concepts to another level through my additional training in Facial Cosmetic Surgery. As my practice grew, I periodically saw him at meetings and continued to admire his willingness to think outside the box. I was shocked and deeply saddened by his sudden death on February 8, 2007. His absence was hard to fully believe as there was so much he had created that in my mind kept him alive. In so many ways, I felt a professional kinship which upon his death would never be the same. Over the past 3 years, I’ve seen many of his patients who found their way to me and shared with them my respect and admiration for Dr. Bosniak’s professional accomplishments. I was recently asked by Dr. Bosniak’s sister who has been managing his estate to provide care for his patients on an ongoing basis. It’s my honor to carry the torch.
Sincerely,
Dr. Amiya Prasad
Amiya Prasad, M.D., F.A.C.S.