Dr. Andrew Wolfe
Dr. Wolfe was raised in New York, the middle of three brothers. Of his English professor parents, he says, "Education was always a high priority for them, and they instilled in me and my brothers a love of learning that persists today." Academic success certainly runs strong among the Wolfe brothers. Older brother Peter is an MIT-trained business consultant who helps Fortune 500 companies improve, while younger brother Michael is an Emergency Medicine physician in California. "It was just understood in my family that the bar was set very high," says Dr. Wolfe, "and we all strived to excel."
Dr. Wolfe received his Bachelors degree in Psychology from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. While at Cornell, Dr. Wolfe found that he enjoyed the concrete aspects of his scientific studies more that the "softer" side of Psychology, and he soon changed his focus to a pre-medical curriculum. His medical studies continued at the Chicago Medical School, where Dr. Wolfe was accepted into an honors Pathology program which allowed him to receive a Master's Degree with a focus on wound healing while completing his M.D. studies. During medical school, it became clear to Dr. Wolfe what type of physician he would become. "I am a surgeon by nature," he says. "To a great extent, you don't really choose a specialty as much as it chooses you." Plastic Surgery's appeal for Dr. Wolfe was immediate, and was based, in part, on the breadth of the specialty. "Hand, craniofacial, reconstructive, cosmetic – there is just so much to do that you could never get bored."
After medical school, Dr. Wolfe was offered a coveted spot in Georgetown University's Integrated Program in Plastic Surgery. A six-year curriculum, the Integrated Program was one of a handful of pioneering residencies which sought to improve the quality of Plastic Surgery training by increasing the specialty-specific exposure while decreasing extraneous material. While at Georgetown, Dr. Wolfe had the privilege of working with a number of renowned Plastic Surgeons, and published a number of articles on a range of Plastic Surgery topics. He received several honors during his training, including induction into Alpha Omega Alpha, the national medical honor society.
In choosing a place to settle after residency, Dr. Wolfe and his wife, Heidi, chose Colorado for a number of reasons. "We both love the outdoors, and Colorado offers unparalleled opportunity for recreation, in both summer and winter." In addition, Denver was not yet saturated with Plastic Surgeons. In 2001, Dr. Wolfe joined the practice of Dr. Ronald Tegtmeier, a Plastic Surgeon who retired two years later. Upon Dr. Tegtmeier's retirement, Dr. Wolfe founded the Center for Cosmetic Surgery. In 2004 he was joined in practice by Dr. Steven Vath.
Dr. Wolfe is passionate about his work, and thoroughly enjoys both the personal and technical aspects of the specialty. He believes that the physician-patient relationship is truly a partnership. "I have to understand a patient's history, desires, and physical status before I can recommend a course of actions. At the same time", Dr. Wolfe says, "the patient has to learn about the various options available for any given procedure before she can make an informed decision." Patient education is a high priority at the Center for Cosmetic Surgery and Dr. Wolfe spends a great deal of time with his patients, both before and after surgery, making sure that they understand their surgical options. At the Center for Cosmetic Surgery, Dr. Wolfe has created a blend of state-of-the-art techniques and more traditional approaches. "I'm not shy about adopting new techniques or procedures," he says, "but I need to be sure that they are safe and effective first." Above all, Dr. Wolfe feels privileged to be able to perform the work he does. "Virtually everything I do is elective, and I consider it an honor to be chosen by a patient to perform their surgery."
Medical consultation available in Spanish. Ofrecimiento consultas en Español.
