Wellness, Longevity & Aesthetics in the news

This interview of Anita Wang, MD was originally featured in the February 2018 edition of Stu News Laguna online magazine.

Dr. Anita Wang has announced an expansion of her business, Wellness, Longevity and Aesthetics. To celebrate, the company will hold an open house on March 22 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the premises at 255 Thalia Street.

Dr Wang, MD, FACEP, is a Board Certified Emergency Physician, a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians, a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians, a Fellow of the American Academy of Anti-Aging, and extensively trained in Aesthetics. She graduated from the University Missouri – Kansas City School of Medicine and has spent the last 20 years as an ER doctor previously at UCLA Medical Center, Eisenhower Medical Center and St. Mary’s Medical Center.

Dr. Anita Wang, ER physician turned functional medicine practitioner

In addition to larger offices, Dr. Wang – Anita – is introducing a new device that helps women who suffer from stress urinary incontinence.

“I hope to reduce the ads for Depends for women with the embarrassing need for them, when they cough sneeze or laugh,” Anita says.

Ironically, the former ER physician’s company deals with chronic illness and lifelong care, on the opposite continuum of the specialty, emergency medicine, which she practiced for many years.

“Don’t get me wrong,” Anita says, “I thoroughly enjoyed the thrill and exhilaration of a good trauma case suddenly rolling through the door. I was able to open the chest of a patient, find the bullet hole in the heart and sew it close as the emergency team working together as a well-orchestrated ballet, to save the patient in the golden hour.”

With a laugh, Anita adds: “I now enjoy the sensation of the thrill and exhilaration as I recline and watch a good action adventure. Who knew you could get the same thrill without all the stress!”

We asked Anita to tell us more about the evolution of her company and her medical philosophy.

The welcoming lobby of Wellness, Longevity and Aesthetics (pictured right)

Stu News: You say that your work in ER led to your business. How so?

Anita: Well, the department was not all trauma and critical care. I would spend a good amount of time reassuring the person coming in with crushing chest pain that he/she was not having a heart attack. I would go over the risk factors and life style choices that would either increase or decrease the likelihood of them having a heart attack. Many times my patients said that they wished their doctor had the time to have gone over the choices they made in life that could have prevented them from having chronic disease. They would ask me to be their primary care physician, because they appreciated the extra time I would take to explain things to them. I immediately would throw garlic at them as if they were vampires!

Stu News: You worked in emergency medicine for more than 20 years. What in particular made you decide to switch to doing what you do now?

Anita: Over the years, witnessing the miracles and devastation of conventional medicine, while I worked to save lives, [I saw] many [patients] at the end of a tortured life, with chronic disease on multiple medications. I would work feverishly to save their lives, only to feel their frustration because of their lack of good qualify of life. I now prefer to save lives by preventing illnesses, rather than trying to save lives at the end life.

Stu News: How would you describe your philosophy of medicine?

Anita: I now practice the philosophy of medicine I have held for myself, which is a combination of eastern medicine, that is good for prevention and chronic disease, and western medicine, for acute care advance life saving technology. There is a growing trend of integrative medicine specialists that are trained in functional medicine, anti-aging, regenerative medicine, and holistic medicine, etc. This is the type of practice I have opened, and look forward to helping patients with conditions such as uncontrolled diabetes, autoimmune diseases, and more.

Calm, quiet, comforting IV room (pictured right)

Stu News: The name of your company is Wellness, Longevity and Aesthetics. Which is your main focus? Which area is most popular? I think I can guess.

Anita: Interestingly, I am better known for the aesthetic portion of the practice, which was a quiet practice motivated by my mother’s nudging for services for years, which I resisted, until I realized I needed the services she was demanding from me! It has been a surprisingly good fit for my emergency medicine personality, to continue performing procedures and attain instant gratification for my patients.

Stu News: Great! How did you end up in Laguna Beach?

Anita: I feel so fortunate to be in Laguna Beach! It happened on a whim. My husband and I had been living in China for the past three years while I was working with Doctors without Borders. When we returned we were exploring options of where to settle. One day we stopped at an open house in Laguna Beach on our way to hiking. That was twelve years ago, we ended up putting roots down here in Laguna. Six years ago I started my private practice.

My wish for all is a wonderful healthy long life full of vitality and beauty!

For more information, call 949-734-0580 or visit www.bodybywang.com or www.anitawangmd.com.