Riverview Health Physicians Plastic Surgeon Uses Artistic Skills for his Craft
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Working with his hands is in his DNA. Joshua Tieman, MD, grew up in a masonry family and loved creating art from an early age. He knew he wanted a profession that allowed him to incorporate using his hands and higher educationhe just didnt know what that looked like quite yet.
Ive always been an artist. As a kid, if I wasnt studying or going to school, I was drawing and doodling, Dr. Tieman said. But I knew I wanted to go to college, and I wanted to help peopleI just wasnt sure how I could fit art into that.
After serving on a two-year religious mission in rural Guatemala after high school, Dr. Tieman realized medicine was the path for him. During this trip he saw firsthand how a lack of healthcare resources affected the villagers, and he knew he wanted to help others by being a physician.
Throughout medical school, Dr. Tieman continued to use his artistic abilities by drawing anatomy models to help him study the systems and functions within the human body. His artistic talent was eventually noticed by his colleagues, and a few of the works were published in medical journals.
During his clinical rotations, Dr. Tieman was drawn to surgery. And before his second year of medical school, he was honored with a grant from the National Institutes of Health to research breast cancer reconstruction at the University of Utah. This was his first introduction to plastic surgery, and he realized this specialization would allow him to combine his love of surgery with his passion for art. He was sold.
Plastic surgery is much more personal and intimate than general surgery, Dr. Tieman said. General surgery is satisfying because I am performing something essential for a patient, but having the surgery done is not necessarily something they want. In plastic surgery, patients are choosing to a have a procedure done and I can combine their vision and my surgical and artistic abilities to make a desirable outcome. I get to show my style.
When preparing for a plastic surgery procedure, Dr. Tieman plans and executes the surgery in his head and on paper several times before the surgery even takes place. He begins by meeting with the patient and discussing the procedure, as well as his/her expectations from the procedure. He then takes preoperative photos and studies them to see what is possible and the results he can offer. This can vary based on different patients.
No two patients are exactly the samejust as no two operations are exactly the same, Dr. Tieman said. This is why it is so important for me to plan my procedures as much as I do and discuss with the patient beforehand what Im going to do, how Im going to do it and how those processes will get them to their end goal. I want to build a trust with my patients and explain all the details so they can be confident and prepared going forward with a procedure.
Once Dr. Tieman has crafted a plan of action, he explains to the patient how he will merge the patients vision and his skills to achieve the desired results.
In August 2021, Dr. Tieman joined Riverview Health Physicians Plastic Surgery. At his office at Riverview Health Westfield Hospital, Dr. Tieman sees patients for elective and cosmetic plastic surgery procedures. Dr. Tieman specializes in breast reconstruction and has clinical interests in body contouring, injectable services, breast surgery, cancer and trauma reconstruction and facial plastic surgery.
My training at the University of Utah put me on the cutting-edge of breast reconstruction and will allow me to provide wonderful care to the women in this area, Dr. Tieman said. In addition, I’ve had the opportunity to work with some of the best surgeons in the Mountain West region, including internationally renowned surgeons. Everything Ive learned from them will allow me to provide a tremendous service to the community here.
For more information or to schedule a consultation with Dr. Tieman, call 317.214.5795 or visit riverview.org.
