D.O. is a Doctor of Osteoapathic Medicine. When choosing a doctor for your family, it’s important to know all of your options, including the type of physician you see. Many people don’t realize there are two types of physicians: MDs and DOs, or Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine.

Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine are fully licensed physicians and surgeons who practice in all areas of medicine. They may be certified to specialize in family medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, surgery, internal medicine, and all other specialties, including plastic and reconstructive surgery.

DOs obtain the same type of training that MDs do: four years of college, four years of medical school, followed by three to six years in internships and residencies to prepare for their chosen specialties. Both MDs and DOs must pass comparable exams to gain their state licenses. In California, DOs are licensed and regulated by the Osteopathic Medical Board of California.

DOs bring something extra to medicine. DOs practice a “whole person” approach to health care-instead of just treating specific symptoms or illnesses, they regard your body as an integrated whole. A strong focus on preventive health care is undertaken.

Dr. Arnold Almonte is proud of his background as an osteopathic physician. He has integrated his knowledge in osteopathic medicine with his extensive and rigorous training as a plastic and reconstructive surgeon. His approach to your care will be one of competence as well as compassion.

In addition to being a member of several professional organiziations, Dr. Almonte is a longstanding member of the American Osteopathic Association, the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons, and the Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons of California. As a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, he is also a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery.

Hospital affiliations include Mercy Hospital of Folsom in Folsom, CA.

Dr. Almonte is Board Certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Surgery which is governed by the American Osteopathic Association.

The word “plastic” comes from the Greek word “plastikos,” meaning “to mold or to shape.” This is the origin of the word plastic. Many objects we use in everyday life are made from plastic, the material of choice since it can be molded or shaped into any desired form.

The term “plastic surgery” refers to surgery that molds or shapes the human body. What plastic surgeons try to achieve is balance, proportion, and symmetry, because with those come beauty and harmony.

Dr. Almonte’s specialization in facial surgery, along with his extensive training and experience, enables him to examine, evaluate, and create a plan to reshape or sculpt one’s face in order to achieve that balance. Using state-of-the-art surgical techniques, he can tighten skin and muscle, remove fat, and sculpt the face, restoring what he likes to call “the true face”, what you get when all the excess skin (or fat) is pulled away.

What makes the field of facial plastic surgery so challenging and exciting is that Dr. Almonte recognizes that so much can be done to improve the appearance of the human face. These enhancements go a long way in making a difference, emotionally and physically, in the lives of his patients.