Julia Spears, MD, FACS
Julia Spears, MD, FACS, Founder/Lead Surgeon
Restoring Confidence
At Metropolitan Plastic Surgery, Julia Spears, MD, has built something intentionally different – a boutique plastic surgery practice where time slows down and conversations matter as much as outcomes. “We’re not in a hospital – we’re in our own small office that feels warm and welcoming,” she says. “And we really strive to make everyone feel very comfortable.”
Her focus today is deeply personal: cosmetic plastic surgery centered largely on women navigating the physical aftermath of life’s biggest changes. “I really enjoy helping women gain and restore their confidence,” she says, whether that means addressing the effects of aging, pregnancy, or dramatic weight loss. In recent years, that last category has become a defining part of her work. Patients who have lost 100 pounds or more – often through bariatric surgery or newer medications – arrive with a different kind of challenge. “Despite achieving something incredibly remarkable, they were still dealing with issues around how they see themselves,” she says, referring to excess skin that can linger long after the weight is gone.
“Mentally and emotionally, plastic surgery can help people feel put back together again – to feel whole again.”
For many, the transformation is not complete without that final step. “Mentally and emotionally, plastic surgery can help people feel put back together again – to feel whole again,” she says. “To become what they envision themselves as being, both physically and mentally.”
That emotional throughline shapes how she practices. Unlike high-volume clinical settings, where patient interactions can feel rushed and transactional, her approach is deliberately slower and more attentive. “I wanted to get to know my patients, understand their needs, and be able to give them truly individualized care,” she says. “Giving patients a more personal experience rather than a very clinical, sterile environment – that was really the goal.”
The practice itself reflects that philosophy. Small, team-oriented, and designed for comfort, it allows her to stay closely involved in every patient’s journey. “We really try to make it a very pleasant work environment and appreciate everyone’s individual skills and what they add to the practice,” she says. “It’s definitely a team-based office environment.”
Her perspective as one of the few female plastic surgeons in the region is also central to her work. “There are very few female plastic surgeons in this area – and even nationwide, it’s still a minority,” she says. “I think it’s important to be able to provide that choice.”
For many patients, that choice translates into a deeper sense of ease. “A female physician is often more tuned into the needs of female patients,” she says.
Long before opening her own doors, however, her career was rooted in academic medicine. She trained at Temple University, where she later became an assistant professor and ran the residency program, before moving on to Hahnemann Hospital to help establish a plastic surgery department under Drexel University. The work was rigorous and wide-ranging – reconstructive surgery, teaching, and a demanding clinical load – but it also revealed what was missing.
“You’re dealing with a huge volume of patients where they decide you have 15 minutes per person, and you’re seeing 60 people a day,” she says. “It really wasn’t the kind of individual attention I wanted to give.”
When Hahnemann closed in 2018, she saw an opportunity to redefine her path. She opened her own practice in South Jersey, with a specific mission to serve the local community and expand access to female-led care.
“Through changes like weight gain, weight loss, pregnancy, sun exposure, and aging, you can start to not feel as good about certain aspects of yourself,” she says. “Plastic surgery allows me to correct that – to a degree, of course – but it really does give people the ability to make significant improvements and feel much more confident.”
