Planning and Precision Define the Work of Dr. Pooyan Rohani

Dr. Pooyan Rohani has a mind for detail.

By Sondra Barr


Pooyan Rohani, MD, M.Engr., approaches medicine with the mindset of an engineer. Precision, problem solving, and attention to functionality, define Dr. Rohani’s detailed approach to the surgical and non-surgical management of skin cancers, as well as other dermatologic conditions.

A fellowship-trained Mohs micrographic and reconstructive surgeon and board-certified dermatologist, Dr. Rohani’s exceptional education and multi-faceted background give him a unique skillset that sets him apart from his surgical contemporaries.

Prior to attending Vanderbilt School of Medicine on a merit-based scholarship where he graduated with top honors as an inductee of the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society, he graduated summa cum laude with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biomedical engineering from Texas A&M University.

His untraditional educational trajectory came as no surprise to his family. Raised in Houston, Dr. Rohani took a shine to programing and all things tech early on. “From computers to VCRs to TVs, I was the person people would call to fix things for them,” he says. “I was also interested in medicine, in part because both my parents are physicians. The medical world was something I grew up in.”

Although the conversations around the Rohani dinner table invariably evolved into medical discussions, where the young man would listen intently as his parents discussed different medical concepts, he initially pursued engineering.

With medical school still in his future, he first used his impressive engineering credentials as a research and development engineer for Medtronic, a large medical device company known for pace makers, defibrillators, and brain stimulators. From there, he went to work for the German biomedical technology company Biotronik.
Tasked with training physicians and teaching them how to program the company’s devices to work in clinical studies, the job required the future doctor to travel to catheterization labs, operating rooms, and cardiology clinics around the country.

The catalyst for becoming a surgeon: “I met a lot of physicians and really became interested in having more hands-on, direct patient care and interactions,” he says.

Recognizing medicine was his ultimate calling, he turned his unwavering focus toward getting into medical school and was offered numerous scholarships before selecting Vanderbilt School of Medicine, From there, Dr. Rohani trained at prestigious Harvard Medical School.

“At Harvard, I had the opportunity to learn from world renowned and leading experts in not only Mohs surgery, laser surgery, cosmetics, dermatology, and a variety of treatments and cutting edge methods to treat and cure,” he explains.

Dr. Rohani pursued further sub-speciality training by completing a fellowship in Mohs micrographic surgery, facial reconstruction, laser surgery, and cosmetic procedures at the University of California, San Francisco.
Since joining McGuiness Dermatology & Plastic Surgery last year, Dr. Rohani has garnered much praise for delivering outstanding results. Among a rarified group of surgeons in the Plano area specializing in Mohs surgery, he stands out for his excellent functional and aesthetic outcomes.

“Mohs surgery is a very precise, microscopically driven type of surgery where you remove cancers layer by layer and you ensure that the entirety of the surrounding skin is clear and free of cancer. Oftentimes, these are on very sensitive areas on the body, primarily the face,” he says.

Work on the nose, eyelids, cheeks, and lips require an especially deft touch, one that Dr. Rohani is uniquely qualified to wield. His extensive medical training and background as an engineer gives him the skills to perform complex removal and reconstruction surgery on cancerous growth affecting cosmetically sensitive areas of the head and neck where precise planning and meticulous operation are critical.

“Putting back together the soft tissue on the skin requires a lot of planning and a lot of geometry and a lot of different force vectors and taking into account different angles and intersections of various cosmetic sub units and critical components of aesthetic appearance. Having an engineering mind helps immensely with the reconstructive techniques required to put together a defect,” says Dr. Rohani.

He points to a recent case, where a patient lost a large portion of the lower ear to cancer, in addition to a significant portion of the back side of the ear, to illustrate the complexity of Mohs surgery.

“Each time we take a layer off, it requires processing under the microscope. There were two cancers that were growing from two different parts of his ear and they met and it resulted in a large defect on the ear. It took us multiple stages to clear the cancer and then I had to reconstruct it,” he explains.

“The challenge is reproducing the appearance of the ear without having any cartilage that’s exposed to the open air, without having any bleeding problems, etc., and giving the patient a nice, aesthetic appearance. That takes a lot of planning, sometimes more than one surgery, although we hope in this case it’ll be just one surgery.”

Essentially, Dr. Rohani performs three doctor’s tasks in one. “I’m the person who does not only the cancer removal or resection; I’m also doing the job of the pathologist. I read the slides myself, while the patient is waiting. I also do the job of the reconstruction,” he says. “That’s really what makes Mohs surgery really special and allows me to care for the patients in a very special and unique way.”

In addition to Mohs surgery, Dr. Rohani performs laser surgery and a variety of cosmetic cases for patients wanting a surgeon’s skilled hand. These include Botox and filler injections, and laser treatments. “These range from anything basic form treating your brown or red spots to heavy duty and involved resurfacing of the entire face and neck,” he says. “If done right and in educated hands, you can take several years off someone’s appearance.”

Dr. Rohani stresses that providing patient-centered care is at the heart of his work as a doctor. “We’re focused on delivering the best results for the patient while compassionately caring for them,” he says. This includes giving all his patients his personal cell phone number. “I tell them to call or text me at any time if they experience any problems because I don’t want them to have to wait for the office phone line or get voicemail.”
Since moving back to Texas from California a little over a year ago, he couldn’t be happier with the patient bonds he’s created and the life he’s since made here. The move was a homecoming of sorts in more ways than one for Dr. Rohani and his wife.

A successful leader in the tech world, with an MBA from Harvard, his wife hails from Brazil. “She and I met while we were at Harvard. She was always ready to leave ice and snow because she’s originally from outside of São Paulo and they’re used to the sun and being at the beach. So she’s happy to be in Texas and feels right at home.”

The pair enjoys traveling, dining out, and staying active swimming and playing tennis. However, there’s one thing you won’t find them doing––heading outside without applying a good broad spectrum UVA/UVB protective sunscreen. He counts sun protection as the absolute number one skin cancer preventative, along with frequent visits to a board-certified dermatologist.