James L. Baker, Jr., M.D., P.A.

With a passion for art and an even greater passion for medicine, James L. Baker, Jr., MD., F.A.C.S. chose plastic surgery as his specialty. He chose aesthetic surgery because it’s the only specialty that combines both of his passions. His staff has been with him for as long as 25 years and he currently has both of his daughters working in his practice.

A world renowned innovator in plastic surgery, Dr. Baker is responsible for developing the Baker Classification Scale, a scale used worldwide by plastic surgeons to measure the level or degree of hardness in an augmented breast.

This occurs when the capsule that naturally forms around an implant begins to harden, resulting in breast distortion in some patients. Dr. Baker conducted research to determine the cause of capsular contracture, discovering the cell responsible for this phenomenon. He found a medication that will help, stop or even possibly reverse the process in many patients. He also developed the closed capsulotomy procedure, a non-surgical method for treating capsular contracture.

He added the Erchonia Low Level Laser to his practice, which has shown promise in treating capsular contracture. It has also been used to speed recovery and healing in postoperative patients.

A pioneer in his profession, Dr. Baker is also one of the country’s foremost experts on ultrasonic liposuction. As President of The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), he helped influence the direction of plastic surgery when he created the national task force to research the then-new technology of Ultrasonic Liposuction in 1995. His task force is responsible for gaining FDA approval by conducting careful research for safety and efficacy before introducing the technology to the general public. As the National Coordinator of all UAL teaching courses and as a National Instructor, he spent five years traveling around the country with the Educational Foundation training approximately 5,000 plastic surgeons in the technique.

Dr. Baker’s love of teaching has kept him current on all recent advances in cosmetic surgery. He strongly believes that his objective is to make each patient happy with his services and if he doesn’t have a happy patient, he has failed at his job. In his spare time, Dr. Baker enjoys traveling with Wiesje, his wife of 46 years, playing golf and spending time with his two young grandchildren Jack and Molly.

Certification, Accomplishments and Honors

• Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgeons
• Immediate Past Chairman, Department of Plastic Surgery, Florida Hospital System
• Traveling Professor for and Past President (1995-1996) of The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
• Past President (1984) of the Florida Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons
• Clinical Professor of Plastic Surgery, University of South Florida, Tampa
• Professor of Surgery, VF, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando
• Published 34 peer review articles in medical journals
• Contributed to 11 text books
• Produced 16 teaching films on the subject of plastic surgery

In addition to academic and practice success, Dr. Baker has enjoyed national recognition by his appearances as a guest on ABC’s 20/20, The Phil Donahue Show, and Oprah. He is listed in The Best Doctors in America, America’s Top Doctors, and More’s Little Black Book of the 75 top Nip-and-Tuck Doctors from East Coast to West. He has also been named as one of the best in his field in Town and Country, Harper’s Bazaar, Mirabella, Self and Orlando Magazine.