Dr. Swanson completed medical school at the University of Toronto, where he received his M.D. at the age of 22. In 1988, he completed a residency in plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Toronto, followed by a fellowship in cosmetic surgery. Dr. Swanson moved to Kansas City in 1989, where he started practice. From 1991 to 1995, he served as Director of the Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Clinic at Children’s Mercy Hospital. He also served as Director of the Residency in Plastic Surgery at the University of Missouri-Kansas City from 1991 to 1993. Dr. Swanson was a visiting surgeon, performing cleft lip and palate surgery on children in the Dominican Republic, during three missionary excursions in 1991-1993.

In 1998, Dr. Swanson opened the new Swanson Center for Cosmetic & Laser Surgery and Leawood Surgery Center, Kansas City’s first licensed ambulatory surgery center specializing in cosmetic surgery.

In 2002, the Swanson Center embarked on a multipart clinical investigation of cosmetic surgery, including outcome studies, prospective clinical studies, and measurements using specialized computer imaging and MRIs. In 2008, Dr. Swanson presented the original findings at the meeting of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, followed by another presentation at the 2009 meeting of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

In 2009, Dr. Swanson completed his landmark four-part Ideal Look series, subtitled The New Science of Cosmetic Surgery, the product of a large body of clinical experience and studies. Dr. Swanson is an outspoken advocate for the application of the scientific method to cosmetic surgery, an approach known as evidence-based medicine.

Dr. Swanson is certified in plastic surgery by the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada, a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada. He has practiced in Kansas City since 1989 and specializes exclusively in cosmetic surgery.