Dr. DeLorean Griffin is the definition of excelling despite the odds. As the son of a single mother who did the best she could, he was a juvenile delinquent by age 12 and on the road to ruin, but God’s plan put him on the path to becoming a prominent plastic surgeon. He is one of two Black,board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeons in Southeast Michigan, and instead of traveling to Miami or out of the country, his patients come to him for mommy makeovers, Brazilian butt lifts (BBLs), and contouring after weight loss surgery. His private practice, Griffin Plastic Surgery, based in metro Detroit, is one of the busiest in the region because he keeps his patients snatched while maintaining the highest level of safety and ethical standards.
The award-winning physician is renowned for his candid, yet compassionate nature and top-notch bedside manner. He is also revered as the “Artistic Surgeon” for the lifelike portraits he draws; his work is featured in local hospitals and art galleries around Detroit. Besides his surgical success, the husband and father of two is a philanthropist who frequently mentors inner-city youth.
“Representation definitely matters, I tell those kids, ‘You’re always going to have some forces against you, but be steadfast. If you want to do something, you have to have discipline because none of this comes overnight,’ ” he said during a recent chat with rolling out.
You seem to approach each patient as if they’re a work of art. When did you start drawing?
Probably as soon as I could walk. I did take art classes, but it wasn’t anything that they taught me. I was 13 years old and I was in art class with 17-year-olds. It’s interesting how that parlayed into a career in the most artistic field in medicine.
With over 6,000 surgeries performed since 2015, mostly on women, how do you ensure their satisfaction?
It’s important to go through all their history — physical and psychological — and find out what their motivations and goals are. I break patients up into four categories based on my happiness and the patient’s happiness. Type A patient: I’m happy, they’re happy. That’s the vast majority of my patients. Sometimes, I’m not so happy, but the patient’s happy. But there are circumstances where I’m not happy and the patient’s not happy. That’s not the best circumstance, but at least there’s something you can do about it. When the patient’s not happy, and you’re happy … that’s the worst scenario ever. The skill that’s not taught to us in residency or school is that you’ve got to identify those patients before you touch ’em, or else.
What’s the biggest misconception about plastic surgery?
That plastic surgery is going to fix everything; your career, your marriage and your friendships. You really have to do the work, mentally, physically and emotionally.
What’s next for you?
What’s next is building my own surgery center. Eventually, we’re talking about collaboration with a dermatologist to create a med spa.
Follow Dr. Griffin’s surgical artistry @griffin_platic_surgery.
