Introducing Myself, Dr. Bates

Hey y’all!

Dr. Bates here. Now that all the craziness from our move has settled down, I want to take a moment to formally introduce myself. With that said, I guess the best place to start is from the beginning. I grew up in a small town in Northwest Georgia called Dalton. Many of you may know Dalton as the “carpet capital of the world.” My family, however, had nothing to do with carpet. My father is an attorney and my mother is retired from the education system. I am the younger of two children with my brother being only 13 months older than me. I graduated from Dalton High School and from there went on to study biology and pre-medicine at the University of Georgia (Go Dawgs!). I then went on scholarship to Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine in Huntington, West Virginia. Going into medical school I knew I wanted to be a surgeon, however, I had no idea what type of surgeon. At first, I thought that orthopedic surgery was my ideal sub-specialty, but after being introduced to plastic surgery, there was no turning back. I was then accepted into my plastic surgery residency at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. After completing my residency, I did an additional fellowship in Laguna Beach, California in aesthetic plastic surgery under the direction of Dr. Daniel C. Mills, who is the past president of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS). After all of this training and despite all the craziness with Covid, I was able to land a coveted position at Ponte Vedra Plastic Surgery.

I will now try to explain plastic surgery residency in as few words as possible. Originally, most surgeons would go through a general surgery residency followed by another residency in plastic surgery. Luckliy, I was able to start my residency directly in plastic surgery as an “integrated” program where I did six straight years of plastic surgery which included both reconstruction and cosmetics.

Here is the path my training took me on to get to this position today:

• 4 years at University of Georgia
• 4 years at Marshall University School of Medicine
• 6 years residency training at The University of Texas Medical Branch
• 1 year aesthetic fellowship training in Laguna Beach, CA

This path has provided me the opportunity to learn different techniques from across the entire country. I am bringing those techniques and skills with me to continue the excellent care for all of our patients at PVPS. I will provide head-to-toe plastic surgery needs with a particular interest in:

• Mommy makeover
• Breast augmentation
• Breast reduction
• Body contouring
• Brazilian butt lift (BBL)
• 360 Lipo (liposuction)
• Fat grafting
• Facial rejuvenation

Outside of plastic surgery, I have been married to my wife since 2014. We have our hands full with our son, Brody, who was born in 2018. My wife and I are passionate about traveling and experiencing new places. I enjoy college football, golf, snowboarding, wake boarding, and any sport at The University of Georgia!

I look forward to our future in Florida and at Ponte Vedra Plastic Surgery!

Take Care,

Chris Bates