McGuiness Dermatology & Plastic Surgery – Plano

Pooyan Rohani, M.D., M.Engr., didn’t travel the conventional path to becoming a Harvard-trained, double board certified, and fellowship-trained Mohs micrographic and reconstructive surgeon. Before attending medical school, he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biomedical engineering and started his career as an engineer working on advanced medical technologies. As time passed, he realized his true calling was medicine— specifically becoming a surgeon dedicated to the treatment of skin cancers and other dermatologic conditions.

All of that to say, his educational background in engineering, dermatology, and Mohs surgery is as long as it is well-rounded.

“Patients sometimes ask how many years I spent in school. We count together from K-12 and get to 27 years — and that shocks a few of them,” Dr. Rohani said with a smile. “The years in undergraduate and graduate studies, medical school, residency, and fellowship add up quickly. But I absolutely love what I do — I get to use my engineering and surgical skills to help cure skin cancers while allowing my patients to achieve their desired cosmetic results in order to feel like themselves again.”

He added, “It’s been a pleasure taking care of patients at McGuiness Dermatology & Plastic Surgery and delivering world-class care.”

With five locations across North Texas, including one that serves patients in Plano and Frisco, McGuiness Dermatology & Plastic Surgery offers a variety of plastic surgery procedures, including aesthetic surgery of the face, nose, neck, breast, and body, and Mohs reconstruction, to help all patients with every possible skin condition they might be facing. The dermatologists at McGuiness Dermatology & Plastic Surgery are not only board certified and experienced, but they pride themselves on exuding compassion. Dr. Rohani joined the team in 2020 and is committed to advancing the field so that more patients benefit from superior treatment options.

Meet Dr. Rohani

Dr. Rohani began his medical education on a merit-based scholarship to attend the Vanderbilt School of Medicine. He then received specialty training in dermatology at Harvard Medical School, managing patients at leading teaching hospitals such as Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. As a resident, his mentors included preeminent experts and innovators in the fields of dermatology, dermatologic surgery, and laser physics. Dr. Rohani then pursued further sub-specialty training by completing a fellowship in Mohs micrographic surgery, facial reconstruction, laser surgery, and cosmetic procedures at the University of California, San Francisco.

As a Mohs surgeon focused on managing skin cancers, Dr. Rohani combines his extensive engineering background and medical training to deliver outstanding results. These skills are critical when he performs complex removal and reconstruction surgery on cancerous growth affecting cosmetically sensitive areas on the head and neck, where precise planning and meticulous operation are critical to excellent functional and aesthetic outcomes. With Mohs surgery, the surgeon removes thin layers of skin one layer at a time and examines each layer under a microscope to determine if any cancer remains.

This procedure continues until only cancer-free tissue remains. But that is only half the battle, Dr. Rohani said.

“When you successfully remove a skin cancer and move on to restoring a patient’s facial appearance, many critical factors are involved. Beyond geometry, you have to master anatomy, understand various cosmetic facial features, and execute tissue movement flawlessly. It truly is a marriage of art and science,” Dr. Rohani said. As an aside, in his own life, he married his beloved wife, Cibele, after meeting her in Boston where she also attended Harvard. They later moved back to his home state of Texas. Cibele is a leader in the marketing technology field. “Experience in addition to the education of the surgeon are critical components in achieving excellent results for patients.”

Dr. Rohani has performed over 5,000 Mohs surgeries.

“Some patients may be understandably anxious prior to surgery. Our face is a large part of our identity. And yet, skin cancer is a serious diagnosis,” he said. “My focus is on putting my patients absolutely at ease throughout the surgical experience. This includes pre-operative counseling, ensuring patient comfort throughout the surgery, and a well-managed post-operative routine.
The good news is that Mohs surgery yields 99% or higher cure for the most common types of skin cancers. From there, we focus on minimizing and hiding surgical scars through a variety of techniques.”

Seamless and Thorough Experience

Dr. Rohani said that while he enjoyed his career in engineering research and development, visits with physicians across the country made him fall in love with the idea of working directly with patients as a physician himself.

“It was a different route, but it gave me an understanding of the real-world applications of technology and medical devices,” he said. “The average first-year medical student is 22 or 23. I was 26 and I think having that extra maturity helped me when evaluating and treating patients from the outset. Mohs surgery turned out to be a great fit for my personality and training. The combination of treating skin pathology and performing cosmetic reconstruction is an absolute joy.”

And the best part is that Dr. Rohani is just one of many board certified dermatologists and plastic surgery professionals on staff at McGuiness Dermatology & Plastic Surgery. With such a large team across five locations, patients are afforded more opportunities to catch and treat their cancers earlier, leading to more satisfying results through plastic surgery.