How does art inform plastic surgery?

I was at my regular life drawing group yesterday, and reflecting on how drawing relates to my "day job” of aesthetic plastic surgery. Plastic surgeons love to talk about artistry in their work, but it is actually a tricky thing to pull off. Surgery is partly a manual skill, but one that is fundamentally based on science. Art on the other hand is a "right brain” thing: more intuitive. At least that is according to Betty Edwards, author of the now classic work “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain.” I had some interesting correspondence with her last year, as she had been invited to participate in a drawing course for plastic surgeons at our annual meeting and she was trying to figure out how plastic surgeons think. “Right brain” plastic surgeons tend to be less verbal during the surgery, as the verbal domain is on the left side.
In my view, the key is to be able to integrate both sides, truly blending the rational scientific side with the spatial, artistic side. It’s more difficult to do than it sounds, and it is something that I have consciously worked on over the years. But the artistic side needs to be freed up sometimes, just for its own sake. That is where the drawing groups come in. A little Mozart music, the model strikes the pose, and everyone just draws, saving the conversation for the breaks.
This right brain-left brain thing works both ways of course. Just as a surgeon needs to acquire a substantial base of knowledge in order to employ the best judgment about how to manage a case, artists need to study the techniques of the masters. And in both instances, the ability to envision the final result in the mind’s eye before starting is hugely beneficial. As my technical proficiency has increased with experience in performing surgery, my drawings have become more anatomically precise but perhaps less artistic. So it is a constant effort to keep the artistic side engaged in concert with the logical left brain. It helps me as a plastic surgeon and as an artist.
Check out a sample of my sketches here: http://www.baxterplasticsurgery.com/art_main.htm.