A BROAD SPECTRUM OF EXPERIENCE

Both doctors bring years of training and experience in plastic surgery to the practice. Dr. MacLennan grew up in Nova Scotia and relocated to the US to attend undergraduate and medical school at Dartmouth College. After doing her residency at the University of Cincinnati, she spent fifteen years on the faculty of the UVM College of Medicine, where she became deeply involved in the care of breast cancer patients and extended that experience to bring innovative aesthetic surgery to Vermont. Mountain Lake Plastic Surgery reflects her vision for an intimate, patient-focused practice catering to the local community. She continues to focus on cutting-edge breast and body surgery and also serves as an examiner for the American Board of Plastic Surgeons.

A native of Norwich, VT, and graduate of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Dr. Schmidt completed her residency at Washington University and a prestigious fellowship in North Carolina focusing on aesthetic surgery. Eager to return to Vermont, she joined Dr. MacLennan at Mountain Lake Plastic Surgery in 2021. Dr. Schmidt performs a full range of cosmetic surgery on the breast, body, and face.

Dr. MacLennan and Killian, RN, discuss patient care. Mountain Lake Plastic Surgery's office in Colchester is bright, modern, and private. 

PARTNERING WITH A LOCAL SURGERY CENTER

At the same time that Dr. MacLennan was establishing her practice, the Green Mountain Care Board granted permission to a group of doctors to build a multi-specialty surgery center in Colchester. This led to the opening of the Green Mountain Surgery Center (GMSC) in 2019, the first multi-specialty outpatient surgery center in Vermont. She explains, “A great part of what we can offer to patients is the excellent care at GMSC, which is small, efficient, collaborative, and patient-focused. It’s one of the best things to happen in health care in the state, and it provides us with a wonderful venue for our surgical procedures. Patients from Vermont no longer need to feel they have to travel to larger cities to access experienced aesthetic surgery care.”

PLASTIC SURGERY EXPLAINED

Acknowledging that not everyone understands exactly what plastic surgery is or how it
differs from cosmetic surgery, Dr. MacLennan explains, “The term ‘plastic’ stems from the Greek word plastikos, which means to mold or shape.” The discipline of plastic surgery focuses on the techniques used to surgically repair and restore the appearance and function of damaged or abnormal body parts.” She continues, “While the certificate that plastic surgeons earn from the American Board of Plastic Surgery reads ‘Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery,’ plastic surgery is the name given to our specialty.” She notes that the specialty requires a minimum of six years of surgical training after medical school and even more time to earn board certification.

Dr. MacLennan is best known for breast and body surgery. She notes that a recent trend in the field is a natural, athletic look that some patients call the “ballerina body.” She says, “Vermonters, in general, seem to prefer that natural look, not the large implants and unnatural contours we have seen in the past.” Because she also performs breast reduction, she notes that many reduction patients also seek smaller breasts that fit their active, athletic lifestyle.

She acknowledges that many less invasive treatments have surfaced in recent years, some more effective than others, but adds, “When the patient needs more than what injectables or other noninvasive treatments can address, we have the experience to treat them with surgery. Nonsurgical options have their place, but our ability to offer both surgical and nonsurgical alternatives is what sets us apart.”