Dr. Richard Silverman, MD

Expert Publications

• Subpectoral implants in weight lifters.
• Management of gynecomastia due to use of anabolic steroids in bodybuilders.
• The sensory innervation of the rat rhinarium.
• Retrograde dissection of the vascular pedicle in toe harvest.
• The "managed-care-tormented-university-based dwindling-reconstructive-cosmetically enhanced practice".

Media Releases

Get to know Plastic Surgeon Dr. Richard Silverman, who serves patients in Massachusetts.

Specializing in the plastic surgery needs of the Boston community and beyond, Dr. Silverman’s focus in aesthetic surgery is on fitness-oriented individuals and bodybuilders.

As an athlete and bodybuilder, he understands the special challenges of the fitness community as a committed member himself. He aims to provide surgical care with a minimal interruption in their training program. He understands the anxiety that many prospective patients experience when anticipating a surgical procedure, no matter how minor, and he works with his patients to minimize interruptions in their workout regimen, while attending to the physiologic needs of healing the wound. 

Whether a patient has worked for years to improve and fine-tune their physical appearance or if they have just discovered the benefits of proper nutrition and exercise, Dr. Silverman will work with them to help them achieve and maintain the appearance they desire. He is well-known for performing male breast reduction for gynecomastia. In addition, he performs tummy tuck, breast augmentation, liposuction, and non-surgical treatments.

In regards to his educational background, Dr. Silverman received his Bachelor of Arts degree in German from Dartmouth College in 1981 and his medical degree from the Penn State College of Medicine in 1985. He completed training in general surgery at the Hershey Medical Center of Pennsylvania State University and at the Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine, finishing in 1990. He then trained in plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester, Massachusetts, completing his program in 1992.

Shortly after, Dr. Silverman completed a traveling fellowship in microvascular surgery at the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan, and at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. He has been on staff at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center since July 1993.

The doctor is board-certified through the American Board of Plastic Surgery, whose mission is to promote safe, ethical, efficacious plastic surgery to the public by maintaining high standards for the education, examination, certification and continuous certification of plastic surgeons as specialists and subspecialists.

As a result of his exposure to the complications of drug use in athletes, Dr. Silverman has developed a program and is available to speak with students and other groups regarding steroids and other drug use in sports. In addition to his clinical responsibilities, he is active in the auspices of C.H.A.N.G.E, based in Worcester, and FUNDASE, based in Ecuador.

In these programs, Dr. Silverman leads groups of surgeons and medical personnel to Ecuador to provide surgical care to the underserved in the developing country. The majority of care has focused on the repair of congenital anomalies of the face and hand. Cleft lip and palate, along with secondary burn reconstruction and treatment of scars, are special focuses.

Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty involving the restoration, reconstruction, or alteration of the human body. It can be divided into two main categories – reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery. A plastic surgeon’s primary responsibility is performing surgical and non-surgical procedures, and they use a variety of reparative and reconstructive techniques to get the job done. 

Throughout his line of work, Dr. Silverman has written several articles on the treatment of gynecomastia in bodybuilders. The articles were published in both peer-reviewed journals as well as in popular literature, including Muscle & Fitness magazine (for which he also serves on the Medical Advisory Board) and Natural Bodybuilding and Fitness magazine.

Away from work, Dr. Silverman is an athlete, involved in rowing, sailing, and competitive bodybuilding. He holds several titles, including the 2000 INBF Northeast Classic heavyweight winner and the 2000 Superbody Masters winner. Most recently, he finished 4th at the WNBF Pro Masters Cup and 3rd at the WNBF Mr. Universe, his first “professional” placing in the top three.

He has written and performed music VA Smile Together In The Mix-Web telecharger and poetry, including an original “drug-free” rap as background to his posing routine in competition. He is an active alumni volunteer for Dartmouth College, having served as the President of the Dartmouth Alumni Council. Also, he has been honored with the Dartmouth Alumni Distinguished Service Award in 2009.

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