SCARY BUT TRUE: More Doctors are Providing Both Medical and Cosmetic Serives

Let me first say that the educated patient will always choose the qualified practitioner over the imposter. The sad part is that those that have less education and understanding about the differences between qualified and not... are preyed upon...here is such an example.


I have to jump the gun a little and comment about this Obstetrician/Gynecologist Marco Pelosi II in New Jersey that thinks it he is the best person suited out there to offer plastic surgery (oh yes...he can't call it that legally because he is not one...so he calls it "cosmetic services") to women

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
IS ANYONE BUYING THIS?

I have a question.. Who Takes Care of Your Complications? You may be an excellent technician and get results that are satisfactoyry to your patients but where did you get your training to deal with the intraoperative complications and postoperative complications of liposuction and the procedures you offer. PLASTIC SURGERY TRAINING IS NOT ONLY ABOUT QUALITY OF RESULTS... BUT SAFETY AND HOW TO DEAL WITH COMPLICATIONS. THIS CANNOT BE TAUGHT IN A WEEKEND COURSE




More doctors are providing both medical and cosmetic services
By Czerne M. Reid
McClatchy Newspapers
(MCT)

Now, there are more reasons to visit the family doctor.

Or dentist.
Or gynecologist.
Or ophthalmologist.

Patients can pop in for a checkup or to have some wrinkles removed or even liposuction.
Doctors' offices across the nation increasingly are becoming one-stop shops for both medical and cosmetic services, offering procedures generally done by plastic surgery specialists.
Doctors say they offer cosmetic services so they can better meet the needs of their patients. But plastic surgeons find the trend disturbing. They understand the motivation, though: As doctors face reduced reimbursement rates from insurance companies, they look for ways to bring in extra money.

Whatever the doctors' reasons, patients say they like the familiarity, convenience and discreetness of going to their own doctors for cosmetic services. And more and more people are asking for them.

In 2005, close to 11.5 million surgical and nonsurgical aesthetic procedures were done in the United States, according to the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.
But that figure is conservative; it is based on a survey of only plastic surgeons, dermatologists and ear, nose and throat specialists. Those specialties represent just a fraction of physicians who now offer cosmetic services. More than 80 percent of cosmetic procedures in 2005 were nonsurgical, and almost half were done in an office facility.
Dr. Stephen Izard, who runs First Care family practice in Columbia, S.C., said he started offering cosmetic procedures after several patients approached him.

"I saw that there was a need, and so I decided to give it a try," he said.
So did gynecologist Lilly Filler, who thought about cosmetic services after treating a young woman who had excessive hair growth on her face and body.
"I began to see that the care of the skin and the care of women overlapped a lot with what we were doing in our office," said Filler.
Miriam Harrison, a patient of Izard's for 21 years, turned to her doctor for treatment for wrinkles, enlarged pores and things "sagging a bit here and there."
"I came here because this is where I've always come," she said. "I trust these people. They won't do (something) to me if it's not right."

Robert Austin, a businessman and seven-year patient of Izard's, also felt comfortable having brown spots removed from his face at his doctor's office.
"It made it very convenient. They were right there where I go for my medical needs," Austin said. "And it was discreet. No one knows what you're there for."
Filler's gynecology practice offers laser treatments for removal of unwanted hair, spider veins, scarring and discoloration.
"As a woman, I know what I want in a doctor's office," Filler said. "We try to provide that for our women."
New Jersey gynecologist Marco Pelosi II, founder of the International Society of Cosmetogynecology, said, "The gynecologist is probably in the most ideal position to provide cosmetic service."

Gynecologists treat women through their various life stages and have surgical skills transferable to procedures such as those aimed at making scars inconspicuous, said Pelosi, who seven years ago started offering liposuction in his office. He also offers mesotherapy for "body-sculpting," as well as cosmetic fillers such as Restylane, and Botox injections for smoothing the skin.
Cosmetic services bring new patients and more money into doctors' offices. Americans spent $12.4 billion on cosmetic procedures last year, says the American Society for Plastic Surgery.
Insurance companies don't cover cosmetic services, so clients pay the full cost. Prices can range from $100 to more than $4,000, depending on the service. The cash flow helps keep doctors' bottom lines in good shape.

"I think as long as physicians have to work as long and as hard as they do," said plastic surgeon John D. Newkirk II, "the tendency is to do those things that give maximum revenue with minimal work."

The procedures being offered in doctors' offices are relatively quick and easy. In fact, many offices advertise them as "lunchtime" services since people are well enough to go right back to work afterward.

But for a good outcome, the person administering the treatment has to have good training and practice frequently.

"It's when something goes wrong, or something has to be modified, when the training comes into play," said Pelosi, who offers training courses for doctors, one of which Filler attended.
But plastic surgeons worry the short courses and field visits that other doctors take don't qualify them to practice cosmetic medicine.

"I'm not sure the public is well served by going to anybody whose residency does not include training in those areas," Newkirk said. "A weekend course in liposuction is inadequate training and experience to allow any physician to carry out that procedure in his or her office."
Some doctors say opposition to non-specialists doing cosmetic procedures is a turf battle.
"It's all politics, and it's all about money. It has nothing to do with the practice of medicine," Pelosi said. "The American Medical Association ... states that education, training and experience are the qualifications needed to be able to practice any procedure, whether it's brain surgery or taking a hangnail out."

You May See a Funny Cartoon but all I See is the "FEATHER LIFT"

This cartoon is funny in its absurdity but the underlying message is real. People today are always looking for cheap shortcuts. We live in a fast food society where in less than a minute you can order a fully cooked meal and go on about your business. To many their approach to beauty brings them down a similar path. "let me do as little as possible to get a result."

Now in theory there is nothing wrong with that. Procedures today are becoming less and less invasive and the future will bring revolutionary advances that may eliminate the need for surgery to rejuvenate one's appearance.

But...

When I look at this cartoon all I can think about is how unscrupulous physicians and companies prey on people's innate desire to "get more with less". I can't get the image of the FEATHER LIFT out of my head.

The Feather Lift is a nonsense procedure where threads are placed in the face to provide lift. There is no undermining, redraping or excision of tissues. It is sad but true that the majority of sites that push these "THREAD LIFTS" all show the same before and after photos. People... you are all reasonable consumers... this can't make sense to you. Why would everyone be showing the same photos.

I had the pleasure of spending time at the Maryland State Anatomy Lab where I ordered some "APTHOS THREADS" from the company and placed them into the faces of Fresh Cadavers with my Colleague Dr. Jennifer Walden. We are both highly trained surgeons and together with standard placement could not get any noticable lift from the technique.

It is also very interesting who pushes Thread Lift Surgeries... It is pushed by doctors who are not surgeons and do not perform surgery. "When you are limited by the scope of your training to perform only non-invasive procedures you will push only non-invasive procedure plain and simple." My problem is when these doctors will tell you this is better than the invasive procedure.

This is why we see many non-Board Certified Plastic Surgeons such as those that call themselves "cosmetic doctors or cosmetic surgeons" offering such procedures. They mostly have nothing else to offer. Before you spend your hard earned money on a procedure that will not deliver. Find a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon to discuss your rejuvenation concerns with... Please