kate gosselin hot: Choosing a Plastic Surgeon

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Does Plastic Surgery Conflict with the Notion of Women's Empowerment?

I read a great post on another blog this morning about a young woman who had lost her way and didn't feel the confidence and exuberance she had once thought she did. You can find the post here:

http://www.blogher.com/own-your-beauty-i-look-different-when-we-got-married?from=hot

This poignant and thoughtful piece about her struggle to learn that it's hard to love until we learn to love ourselves had me wondering to what extent my chosen profession contributes to the problem of women losing sight of their individual beauty and defining themselves based on outward appearance and others' reaction to them.

I realize that, because it is not possible to require providers of aesthetic medicine and surgery to pass some sort of "Integrity Test", that there will always be predatory behavior in our world, and that this behavior does, indeed complicate the journey to peace and happiness for some women.

How any young woman struggling with an eating disorder must feel and what she must think when she sees an irresponsible advertisement promising she could "Lose 3 gallons of fat..." or "Lose 9 inches in an hour" makes me wish the system did have a way of more strictly limiting the kind of people allowed to finish medical school. It seems to me our nation used to be better at ensuring graduating doctors were uniformly people of high integrity.

And while I know I can feel positive about my own approach to my profession, my patients, and my marketing, I also realize that the behavior of these less scrupulous people necessarily affects my own reputation, and that of the entire field of Plastic Surgery, by association.

I do believe (very strongly) that under the right circumstances, and in the hands of a responsible, ethical, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, the pursuit of aesthetic surgery can be a very positive thing....

Women seeking to have their external appearance reflect the way they feel on the inside- to present the beauty to the world that they feel... are uniformly happy and grateful for the opportunity and intervention.

When pursued with concerning motivations, unrealistic goals, or for the satisfaction of someone else, aesthetic surgery is rarely gratifying for the patient or the surgeon.

This deeper understanding of the psychology of plastic surgery, as well as the nuances of human form and anatomy, delicate surgical techniques involved, and details of postoperative care all have contributed to the advancements in outcomes and safety all patients have benefitted from over the past 40-50 years....

And which no ER doctor, eye doctor, or gynecologist could possibly hope to attain after a few weekends at a resort learning about "Smart" lipo, "Body Jet" lipo, or any other machine....

By allowing irresponsible doctors who haven't gone through the rigorous and disciplined training that Board Certified Plastic Surgeons go through to perform surgery on our sisters, wives, mothers, and daughters, our society is abandoning the benefit that Plastic Surgeons' training and good judgement brings to the relationship. And this is fundamentally the cause of the deaths and injuries we read and hear about every few months.

Love yourself enough to seek intervention for the right reasons, have realistic expectations, and respect yourself enough to only place your safety and happiness in the care of someone with the education, training, and integrity to make it worthwhile.

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Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Hollywood Backlash on Cosmetic Procedures

Recently, stars such as Dana Delaney, Lisa Rinna and Kim Kardashian have been featured in magazines proclaiming their lack of satisfaction with cosmetic procedures, mainly Botox and fillers. Audrina Patridge and Jessica Alba have also gone on record to state they would NEVER have plastic surgery. But wait a second; hasn’t Audrina had a breast augmentation? Hmmm….Sounds like it might not be the plastic surgery but the work the plastic surgeon they chose they aren’t so happy with.

For the small handful of vocal Hollywood women that state their dissatisfaction, there are thousands of Hollywood starlets and women that are thrilled with their outcome and would rather keep hush hush about the cosmetic procedures they’ve had to maintain a refreshing, youthful look.

Any surgical procedure, including injectables and fillers such as Botox and Juvederm, come with risks. These risks are greatly diminished by visiting a trained provider that has extensive experience in the procedure that they are performing. A patient that understands their goals and has realistic expectations is far more likely to be satisfied with the results of cosmetic procedures.

Here at our Orlando Plastic Surgery, Skin Care and Hair Restoration Center, both board certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Armando Soto, and Nurse Practitioner, Michelle Boone have many years of expertise in a variety of cosmetic procedures. They would be delighted to meet with you and find out how they can help you achieve your aesthetic goals. Call today to set up a consultation to meet Dr. Soto or Michelle! 407.218.4550.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Daily Beauty Buzz: All You Need to Know About Breast Augmentation Surgery

Have you ever thought about having Breast Augmentation Surgery? It is important to be well educated, and have all of your questions answered by an expert prior to having any surgical procedure. Tune in to the Daily Beauty Buzz, as Central Florida's very own Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Armando Soto, answers frequently asked questions on today's topic: Breast Augmentation Surgery.

Call Aesthetic Enhancements Plastic Surgery in Orlando, Florida today for your complimentary consultation! 407.218.4550

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Monday, September 20, 2010

On "Because Dirt-Cheap Has Its Downsides"

There is a great piece in the Real Estate section of today's NY Times called "Because Dirt-Cheap Has Its Downsides"...

It's about a guy who got tired of living in his dark, noisy apartment, eventually coming to the conclusion that the low rent wasn't worth his low perceived quality of life.

He ends up moving to a co-op in another part of town where he pays a bit more, but gets a great deal more, and finally achieves harmony with his home.

There are many close parallels between this story and the process of selecting a qualified surgeon for your aesthetic improvement, especially in these challenging economic times....

Too often I think, we see in media outlets that it is in your best interests to negotiate a low price with your health care provider, and shop for the lowest price. While this may be okay to do when talking about a hospital stay, where you are likely to get the bill after the care has been provided, I'm not so sure this is really in your best interests when looking for aesthetic surgery. The difference has to do with the effect aggressive negotiating on the part of the consumer (the patient) has on the quality of care provided and the potential outcome experienced.

Because hospital stays are first billed to your insurer, and you do not see a bill until after the fact, any aggressive negotiating will not affect the quality of care you receive. This may not be the case when talking about plastic surgery, however.

Over the past few years, I have definitely noticed a change in the way things get done, and have been aware of some surgeons "cutting corners" to lower costs and therefore make their fees more attractive to patients. In some cases this may mean relatively low risk (to the patient) behaviors like re-using non-sterile items meant to be disposable. In others, however, it means not having available the people, supplies, or resources necessary to deal with a problem should it arise- or rushing to complete surgery... compromising your safety or the chances of achieving your goals.

My perspective is that aesthetic surgery is about feeling happy and peaceful with your appearance... We're not curing cancer or trying to save your life.

Because I have this (I believe healthy) perspective on my profession, I don't ever think it makes any sense to take unnecessary chances. I built my state-of-the-art Orlando Plastic Surgery Center with the intention of providing the highest quality of care, understanding that I would not always be the lowest priced option my patients have.

My goal is always to give my patients the very best chance of achieving their aesthetic goals in complete safety, and through a positive experience they look back on warmly.

It is important as patients and providers of aesthetic services for us to realize that when we apply too much financial pressure to the system, sooner or later, something will have to bend- or break.... defeating our initial purpose of being safe and looking great.

I meet patients weekly who had surgery performed by a surgeon chosen because his fees were "affordable", only to realize after surgery that the experience or outcome left something to be desired. They then are in the position of being less happy with their appearance than they started, and now need another procedure (at greater expense) to achieve the goals they set out with.

Further complicating this issue is the fact that your first procedure is often going to be your best chance at getting the lovely outcome you want.... In other words, achieving your goals through revisions after a less than ideal outcome may become more and more difficult, depending on the details of what is done.

This is not to say that paying more will guarantee that you get what you want- and even the best among us would tell you that we can't hit the proverbial home run every time... But as with any other professional, the best quality work usually does cost a bit more.

Bottom Line- Choose your aesthetic surgeon based on their education, training, experience, integrity, personality, and their body of work (that is, their outcomes).

Choosing based on the costs will usually have you reliving the axiom that you usually get what you pay for- and wishing you had paid a bit more to get what you wanted.

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Saturday, November 14, 2009

Choosing a Plastic Surgeon, Part 2

In a previous entry, I described how common it is for patients who contact my Orlando plastic surgery center to make the mistake of thinking that:

Anyone offering a plastic surgery procedure MUST be appropriately trained and certified to perform that procedure; this is, unfortunately, not the case.
All plastic surgery training is equal, and so shopping for the best price is the best way to choose a surgeon

In that previous entry, I explained how not all people offering plastic surgery are Board Certified Plastic Surgeons, and in fact, many are not even plastic surgeons! There are now many doctors in other specialties offering to perform plastic surgery procedures without the benefit of the years of training a plastic surgeon receives, convincing their patients that a few weeks of training is sufficient for them to learn what we learn in YEARS.

I explained the potentially dangerous error of choosing based on price.

Finally, I explained how to properly choose not only a surgeon, but also the importance of choosing the facility in which the procedure will be performed and also the anesthesia provider.

For today's entry, we'll assume a healthy understanding of these issues. Having done your homework, and ascertained that the surgeons you are considering are all plastic surgeons Board Certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery, the facilities in which they operate are all certified by the AAAASF or JCAHO, and the anesthesia providers are all well-qualified, how do you make the final decision?

Here are my recommendations:

Consider the relative quality of the surgeon's medical school educations. While it is true that most medical educations will cover the basics, there is a reason that some institutions grow international reputations and perpetually fight for the best students. A medical school education among these "Best and Brightest" students and educators could reasonably be expected to produce (and historically has produced) America's finest doctors and surgeons. Ranking lists of medical schools take these things into consideration and are a useful resource. The most respected list, from US News and World Report, can be found here: http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-medical-schools/research-rankings
Find out where the surgeon completed his/her Plastic Surgery Residency. This is the critical and years long process of going from a medical student to a qualified plastic surgeon, where we learn to do plastic surgery by gradually taking on more responsibility under the watchful eyes of other, already trained and experienced surgeons. Just like medical schools, not all training programs are equal in the breadth, intensity and quality of training offered. Generally speaking, those programs associated with the best medical schools also provide the best training, as they will be able to attract and retain the best, most experienced and reputable professors of plastic surgery- and the quality of our training will depend on the quality of those training us. For example, I completed my own Plastic Surgery training at Washington University in St. Louis, one of the top 5 medical schools in the United States- and it also happens to be the birthplace of American Plastic Surgery.
It bears repeating that you should be absolutely sure that the surgeon you are considering is Board Certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery. This is easily done at the Board's site: https://www.abplsurg.org/ModDefault.aspx?section=PubFind It's also good to know the surgeon is a member of The American Society of Plastic Surgeons, which means they've completed plastic surgery training, become board certified, and maintain their education through regular attendance at conferences and meetings. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery is another important society, and a surgeon's membership in this prestigious society means that on top of everything above, their practice is heavily focused on aesthetic/cosmetic surgery.
Know that surgeons who claim to be "Board Eligible" in plastic surgery are NOT board certified. This may be because they simply have not taken the examinations- but this is doubtfully the true explanation, as The American Board of Plastic Surgery specifically prohibits claiming ANY status with The Board until and unless you have passed all examinations. Much more likely is that they were unable to pass the examinations (or simply never took them), but realize they may lose patients if they don't find a way to fool them into thinking they have status with The Board. Are you starting so understand that not all doctors have integrity?
Spend some time thinking about the interactions you have had with the surgeon and his/her staff. You should realize that having a plastic surgery procedure is NOT a singular interaction, like buying a new handbag, in which once the bag is purchased (or the surgery completed) the interaction can be considered to be complete. Rather, you are choosing to enter into a very important relationship with your surgeon, the critical portions of which should be expected to last at least a few months beyond the date of your surgery, as you recover and heal. This very important relationship should therefore be approached with the same care you would give any other... think about whether you think the surgeon will be responsive to your needs and concerns, whether your personalities will allow healthy interaction, the approachability of his/her staff, etc... Remember- you don't only want to have achieved a great outcome when all is said and done... you want to have had an uplifting and positive experience you can look back on and smile! You can have this in the best practices.
Finally, never forget that what you are really looking for is the very best outcome you can achieve. Sometimes when I'm asked by friends and family how to sort through all the claims some surgeons make of being the best choice because they (the surgeon in question) were voted "the best" by some magazine, or because the surgeon simply says they are "the best", I am reminded of the first Clinton presidential campaign, in which the slogan "It's the economy, stupid" helped Mr. Clinton win the White House. Once you've done the homework outlined above, it's all about the OUTCOME... Ask to see photos of the surgeon's previous work- and ask yourself if you would be pleased if you looked like the photos they show you. Think about how many good photos they show you. Do most of the outcomes just look funny, with only a few that you think are attractive and natural, or are all of their results pleasing and attractive, even if every one may not be what you specifically want? If the surgeon can't show you at least a few outcomes you find attractive and pleasing, you should look elsewhere. Be sure to ask directly whether the photos you are being shown are the surgeon's own work (believe it or not, some actually do try to attract patients by showing them the work of others!) Don't be fooled by the hyperbole- just as Cuba Gooding says in Jerry Maguire- think Show me the {Outcomes}!
I also always recommend communicating with a few of the surgeon's prior patients who have had the same procedure they are recommending for you. You can ask the surgeon's staff for a list of patients who may have agreed to be called, or find testimonials online at one of the many plastic surgery websites now available. My favorite, because it is objective, free (surgeons cannot pay to be listed higher, so more credibility exists), and allows you to get a feel for the surgeon's manner and personality, is RealSelf: www.RealSelf.com

I know it seems like a huge amount of work, but after you've read this (as well as my prior post) a few times, you'll have a great understanding of the best way to proceed, and it will feel very comfortable and natural to you. Use the resources I've outlined, and use your gut- there are many great surgeons out there- with these guidelines you should be able to attain the outcome and experience you desire.

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