Our Story

Today, La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre (LJC) is a highly respected medical practice in San Diego, CA. Our education and informed consent materials have been disseminated and translated into five languages, and our patient care and communication systems have been used by more than 1,200 plastic surgeons worldwide.

But in 1988, a center dedicated to cosmetic surgery was a rather unusual idea. Most people thought cosmetic surgery was for the “rich and famous.” It was far from mainstream—to say the least. Our story began with a vision and the groundbreaking steps our founder, R. Merrel Olesen, MD, took to make it a reality.

A New Idea: The Cosmetic Surgery Center

In 1988, Dr. Olesen was Head of the Division of Plastic Surgery at Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, CA. In this traditional medical setting, he realized that his cosmetic surgery clients had very different needs than the typical medical patient. Unlike medical patients who were driven by disease or trauma, his cosmetic clients were driven by emotional concerns as well as physical complaints.

Dr. Olesen wanted his patients to have a special experience, which was essentially impossible in a large multi-specialty setting. He believed the best care involved a specialized and highly skilled team of professionals—including board-certified plastic surgeons, registered nurses, and a well-trained administrative staff.

As he thought about creating a practice focused solely on cosmetic surgery, Dr. Olesen knew he would need more staff and wanted to attract the best and brightest minds in the medical field. He also planned to provide a higher degree of privacy than was possible in a large multi-specialty clinic. He envisioned a comfortable, private, and home-like setting, as opposed to the typical hospital atmosphere in those days. Of course, a hospital’s level of safety in the operating room would still be required.

Dr. Olesen’s Dream Becomes a Reality

Dr. Olesen’s dream of a specialized cosmetic surgery center finally became reality in 1988 when LJC opened its doors on Prospect Street in La Jolla. Patients loved the beautiful ambiance and responded positively to our unique team approach. They were equally impressed with our QUAD A accredited operating room and use of board-certified MD anesthesiologists—which we insisted upon long before operating suite accreditation was required under the law.

Dr. Olesen found the turn-of-the-century sign you see to the right, which embodied his beliefs. It still hangs in the practice today as a reminder of our values.

Involving You for True Success

With patient care, safety, and a comfortable environment in place, Dr. Olesen and his wife Marie (a healthcare administrator) made another unusual decision at the time. They decided to survey their patients and ask them how to make LJC even better.

Back then, this was such a rare concept that Marie could not find patient satisfaction surveys to give out at the practice! So, she adapted hotel surveys and created her own versions, which are still in use more than 35 years later.

What We Learned From You

Early responses to our surveys showed that while LJC patients were very happy with their surgical outcomes, they wanted more communication and education. Back then, it was expected that surgeons made all the decisions, but clients wanted something else. One woman expressed her desire to become a “partner” in the cosmetic surgery process. Another said she “felt like she was in a tunnel” because she didn’t know what to expect with the evolving process of having and recovering from cosmetic surgery.

Making Information Accessible

These were pre-Internet days when people had little access to medical information should their doctor not explicitly provide it. So, based on the answers obtained in their surveys, Dr. Olesen (assisted by Lori H. Saltz, MD) spent the next two years writing comprehensive informed consent and medical education materials to meet unanswered needs. Marie also added educational materials to help people prepare for surgery and understand recovery. She gathered all the materials they would receive, making them more coherent and cohesive.

Upon completion of the project, LJC began giving patients our personalized pre-operative booklets (which some jokingly referred to as their surgery “bible”), and satisfaction soared. Meanwhile, Marie continued on her quest to develop proactive care and communication to further LJC client satisfaction. She began a process of listening to patients that continues to this day.

LJC client loyalty and advocacy doubled as people experienced our higher levels of communication and education. The “books” spread rapidly among patients—and soon to other local surgeons.

A Breakthrough in Care & Communication

While our patients were undoubtedly thrilled with our steps to provide better information, the Olesens wanted to help more people rather than keep an advantage for themselves. They were receiving requests from other surgeons who wanted to provide similar materials to their clients.

Accordingly, they created a system so other practices could apply LJC’s approach to care and communication. This was part of an age-old tradition that called for sharing advances and techniques within the medical field.

In 1994, Dr. and Mrs. Olesen released their first software program—INFORM&CONSENT®—to meet this need. The INFORM&CONSENT® application enabled these other practices to offer personalized cosmetic surgery booklets, ultimately improving the overall surgical experience. Their software expanded and became INFORM&ENHANCE® to include industry-transforming communication systems, surveys, and practice performance metrics that Marie developed to measure satisfaction, pinpoint service issues, and enhance LJC patient experiences.

Becoming a Beacon for Surgeons Worldwide

Over the next few years, hundreds of plastic surgery practices would embrace our groundbreaking software. LJC began hosting meetings and became a training center for plastic surgeons and their patient care teams. Plastic surgeons and their staff would fly in from around the country and across the globe to learn LJC’s systems and approach to cosmetic care and communication.

LJC has won awards for its exceptional care and joyful experience for each visitor. We’ve received honors both locally and globally, and we’re proud to now be San Diego’s most-awarded aesthetic team.

Passing the Torch

Dr. Olesen retired from active practice in 2005 and enjoyed his retirement years, spending time with Marie and their dogs, Charlie and Lulu. He enjoyed playing duplicate bridge, was an avid reader, and became an excellent breadmaker at one point. He studied in France as a youth and enjoyed speaking French with his French Club. Dr. Olesen was the proud father of three and has two granddaughters. Until his death in May 2023, he maintained a keen interest in what was happening at LJC and how to continue its rich quality care and excellent communication traditions. If you would like to read his obituary and/or leave a comment, please do so here.

Looking to the Future

As always, LJC continues to improve upon care systems using education, informed consent, and open lines of communication with our patients and every member of our practice. We’re also exploring new ways to increase communication through blogging, podcasting, and social networking.

But no matter what the future holds for LJC, our commitment will always be to you and ensuring we provide the best possible experience as we make your dream real together.

If you are ready to join the LJC family and start your journey to confidence, please request a consultation online or call (858) 452-1981. We can’t wait to hear from you.