LA Plastic Surgery - The Skin Plasma Center - Bradenton, Florida
Dr. Melinda Lacerna
Double Board-Certified Surgeon
Passionate. Disciplined. Exceptional. Dedicated. Focused. Trustworthy.
Dr. Melinda Lacerna ‘s Philosophy
For Over 20 years, Dr. Melinda Lacerna has proven time and time again to personally provide exceptional cosmetic services to her patients. She personally consults with each patient and cares as much as her patients do about their upcoming procedure, the results and post surgery progess
Double Board Certified - Dr. Melinda Lacerna
Dr. Melinda Lacerna is double board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery. She is a fellow the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS). Dr. Lacerna obtained her medical degree from the University of California, Irvine. She received her general surgery training at Kaiser Permanente in Los Angeles and her plastic surgery training at Temple University in Philadelphia.
Dr. Melinda Lacerna is a distinguished figure in the field of plastic surgery, holding double board certification and based in Bradenton, Florida. With over 20 years of dedicated practice, she is the founder and owner of LA Plastic Surgery, The Skin Plasma Center, LA Skin Med Spa, and Elite Aesthetic Surgery Center. Her specialization in facial plastic surgery and skin resurfacing has positioned her as a leading expert, notably authoring significant works such as the “Non-surgical Facial Rejuvenation and Skin Resurfacing” chapter in the 9th edition of Grabb and Smith’s Plastic Surgery. Additionally, she is in the process of co-editing and contributing to “The Skin Book,” aimed at offering an exhaustive guide on skin and procedures for plastic surgeons. Her prolific output includes numerous publications and ongoing research, further solidifying her reputation in the field.
More recently, she was an invited speaker to the following meetings:
- The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) January 2021: “Adding skin tightening device to your practice”
- International Society of Plastic Surgery (ISAPS)meeting in September 2021 in Vienna, Austria: “Scarless Facial Rejuvenation”
- APYX Global Sales Meeting, Dallas TX, January 2022: “My experience with Renuvion”
- The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) in March 2022: “Plasma Resurfacing and Facelifts: The Next Level Facial Rejuvenation”
- Renuvion 2nd Annual User’s Meeting, March 2022, Las Vegas: “Minimally Invasive Browlift”
- Vegas Cosmetic Surgery (VCS), June 2022: “Minimally Invasive Browlifts”
- International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), September 2022, Istanbul, Turkey: “Minimally Invasive Browlifts”
Dr. Lacerna’s involvement extends beyond clinical and scholarly contributions to include substantial collaboration with multiple aesthetic companies across the United States. She serves as a consultant, physician trainer, and key opinion leader (KOL) for leading organizations such as APYX Medical (Renuvion), Energist (Neogen PSR), Cytrellis (Ellacor), Evolutionary Biologics (exosomes), Allumiere MD, and AnteAge MD (skin care), underlining her influential role in shaping advancements in aesthetic medicine. Her accolades are numerous, including recent honors such as the “Best Surgical Facial Rejuvenation Case for 2023” and a gold medal at the ISAPS World Congress in Athens, Greece, for “Best Face Presentation.” An active participant in the global plastic surgery dialogue, she is slated to deliver over 15 presentations worldwide in 2024. Dr. Lacerna’s passion extends to innovating minimally invasive facial aesthetic surgeries, integrating classical techniques with advanced plasma technology and regenerative medicine to achieve optimal patient outcomes. Her commitment to education and collaboration is evident in her invitation to plastic surgeons globally to learn and train at her centers, reflecting her dedication to advancing the field and fostering professional growth.
One on One with Dr. Lacerna Day 1
One on One with Dr. Lacerna Day 2
Dr. Lacerna’s Philosophy
A consultation with Dr. Lacerna is like confiding to a close friend about insecurities you have about your appearance. As a woman, she listens very closely to your concerns and hopes. She understands exactly how women want to look and feel- whether in a bikini or lingerie, or simply wanting the right curves in jeans, a little black dress, or a wedding gown. She understands you want your face to have that “natural glow” during a candlelit dinner or a reunion, but not look like you just had your face done. She understands that men also care as much abut their appearance, but they do not want to look overdone.
To extend the duration of their results, Dr. Lacerna encourages her patients to keep a balanced lifestyle with regular exercise and healthy eating, in order to keep the new self confidence and life optimism that matches your beautiful new face and body!
In your initial consultation, Dr. Lacerna will evaluate your health and will be frank in discussing your expectations of your post-surgical results. Again, she will give you specific instructions on how to prepare for surgery, including guidelines on eating and drinking, smoking, and taking or avoiding vitamins, iron tablets and certain medications. Be sure to arrange for someone to drive you home after the vaginal rejuvenation surgery.
Dr. Lacerna’s Education & Certifications
Curriculm Vitae
Melinda Lacerna, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Education
Doctor of Medicine University of California, Irvine
College of Medicine (1994-1998) Irvine, CA
Bachelor of Science Biological Sciences California State University, Fullerton (1990-1994) Fullerton, CA
Board Certifications
Board Certified, Plastic and Reconstructive SurgeryBoard Certified, General Surgery
Volunteer Experience
Oil painting, running, scuba, volunteer mission trips, travel, interior design. Married to Brian James Kimbrell, MD, FACS
Surgical Training
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Temple University, Philadelphia, PA (2003-2005)
General Surgery Kaiser Permanente, Los Angeles, CA (1998-2003)
Work Experience
Attending Plastic Surgeon Channel Islands Plastic Surgery Medical Group Ventura County Medical Center (2007-2011)
Attending Plastic Surgeon Kaiser Permanente, Woodland Hills, CA (2005-2007)
Publications
Lacerna, M, Spears, J, Mitra, A Avoiding free nipple grafts during reduction mammaplasty in patients with gigantomastia. Ann Plast Surg. 2005 Jul;55(1):21-4Kaminski, A., Amr, D., Lacerna-Kimbrell, ML Lymphatic Mapping in patients with breast cancer and previous Augmentation Mammaplasty. Am Surg. 2007 Oct;73(10);981-3Puopong, D, Terasaki, K, Lacerna, M, Applebaum, H Splenic artery embolization in the management of an acute immune thrombocytopenic purpura-related intracranial hemorrhage. J Pediatr Surg. 2005 May;40(5):869-71.ElTorai, I, Wong, Lacerna, M Surgical aspects of autonomic dysreflexia. J Spinal Cord Med. 1997 Jul;20(3):361-4.Lacerna, M Les Fleurs de La Chateau, original oil painting Cover, The Kaiser Permanente Journal, Fall 2006 issue
Professional Memberships
American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons Fellow,
American College of Surgeons California Society of Plastic Surgeons
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Real Patients • Real Reviews
Dr. Lacerna & LA Plastic Surgery has Won!
We wish to thank all of you that voted!
"Best Surgical Facial Rejuvenation Enhancement"
Dr. Lacerna is featured in the recent issue of The Aesthetic Guide, their Social Media, and posted on The Aesthetic Guide and The Aesthetic Show.
Congratulations to Dr. Lacerna for winning the Gold!
Just another reason why Dr. Lacerna globally sets the standards in her field when it comes to her:
"Trifecta Facelift" Procedure.
Dr. Lacerna is a gold medal winner at the Plastic Surgery Olympiad in Athens for her revolutionary scar-less lower blepharoplasty technique!
Dr. Lacerna is admired and respected by other plastic surgeons in the profession:
Nonsurgical skin tightening is one of those elusive “holy grails”, which many of us have sought but been disappointed by either nonevents or worse, adverse events.
When I heard that Dr. Lacerna-Kimbrell was an advanced innovator of Renuvion, in conjunction with facial rejuvenation, I gladly made the time to visit.
I was not disappointed as she is a technically accomplished surgeon with an aesthetic sensibility which is balanced by vigorous scientific background. Furthermore, she is an excellent communicator, who comprehensively outlined indications, possible complications, proposed strategies to avoid these as well as shared protocols for routine post-op.
This visit afforded me ample opportunity to reflect where Renuvion may add additional value to my practice and this made it all worthwhile.”
- Dr. Lavinia Chong, Newport Beach, CA.
She is a national trainer and instructor for Renuvion technology for sub-dermal skin tightening and skin resurfacing, as well as the new Ellacor micro-coring technology. She enjoys teaching, sharing her knowledge and experience with other Plastic Surgeons.