The short story is that John Allan Ness, M.D. spent 17 years, after high school working to obtain the world-class education and training that it takes to be a modern plastic surgeon. He spent three years in academics, training the next generation of surgeons and the past 12 years building his private practice and developing his reputation for quality. He was elected and served a two-year term as president of the Minnesota Society of Plastic Surgeons. He has found the practice of plastic surgery to be the perfect fit for combining his loves of art and science.

Although his unique background gave him extensive training in facial plastic surgery, he also enjoys the process of breast and body reshaping. He is a people person and finds beauty in restoring the whole person. Dr. Ness is an active listener, and his consultations tend to be more of a dialogue. In addition to volunteering as the medical director for a local program, he has volunteered his surgical talents on numerous overseas, medical missions to repair the broken smiles of children with cleft lips and palates. Both he and his wife like to travel and have found unexpected joy in his journey to becoming a well-respected plastic surgeon and leader.