Dr. Anita Kulkarni is a plastic & reconstructive surgeon with a special interest in breast reconstruction following a mastectomy. Dr. Kulkarni holds a special place in my life because after I was diagnosed with breast cancer, she partnered with my breast surgeon, Dr. Pamela Wright, to perform my mastectomy and reconstructive surgery.

She joined me on Ever Better for a discussion that included:  

• Tips for someone who is newly diagnosed with breast cancer. Above all...don't panic! 
• Practices for quicker recovery and a healthier lifestyle
• Why she chose to be a plastic surgeon and her first breast cancer patients at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer center.
• The rare female plastic surgeon. 
• Growing up as the child of immigrants who emphasized education and learning a profession. 
• Dr. Kulkarni's other specialty, "the mommy makeover."
• Fitting workouts with her husband into her busy schedule.
• Studying the Bhagavad Gita and mindfulness practices from the Hindu religion.

About Dr. Anita Kulkarni

Dr. Kulkarni grew up in New Jersey and graduated from Northwestern University in Chicago. She attended medical school at the University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine. Her residency was at the University of Michigan, one of the oldest and most respected plastic surgery training programs in the country. There she received comprehensive training in both cosmetic and reconstructive surgery.

Dr. Kulkarni completed an additional year of advanced training at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York where she developed expertise in breast cancer related techniques.

She is now with the Plastic Surgery Institute of Washington, in Bethesda, MD.