When is a bargain NOT a bargain?
Posted on January 02, 2012
Although the recent poor economy has made most people tighten their fiscal belts, it has not stopped women from wanting to be able to tighten their literal belts! Elective plastic surgery is actually on the increase. Sometimes this is fueled by a feeling that women have to stay looking youthful in order to compete in a tougher job market. None of that is a bad idea, except some women try and get a bargain.
Lured by unscrupulous physicians who have taken weekend courses in plastic surgery, these women end up bargaining with their health and even at times, their life. This can occur when a procedure that is normally performed in a hospital is done in an office. Sometimes that is great because it is less stressful and is in fact cheaper. But sometimes it is not safe and the procedure warrants the closer observation that occurs in the operating suite of a hospital.
Problems can also occur because a physician who is trained in one specialty, tries to branch out into another specialty, for which they have no training. Because they are not actually board certified in plastic surgery, they offer a procedure at a substantial discount over what a real plastic surgeon would charge. For example, there was recently a series of deaths in Florida at the hands of an ENT specialist who thought that his ability to perform surgery on ears and throats qualified him to perform liposuction and breast implant surgery. He had taken a weekend course in liposuction. Just because a physician has a medical license does not mean he or she is qualified to do all things.
I am a board certified obstetrician-gynecologist. That means I am qualified to deliver babies and do things like hysterectomies. It does not mean I am able to perform liposuction. That requires the physician to have completed a surgery residency and then a fellowship in plastic surgery. That is years of training, not a weekend course.
It is wonderful that we can avail ourselves of so many awesome procedures, but make sure to take the following steps first:
- Do your homework
- Make sure your surgeon is board certified in the actual specialty of plastic surgery
- Ask to see before and after pictures of similar surgeries
- Take your time and don't make a decision in the office the first day you go in
- Ask how often they have performed that particular procedure. A good surgeon will answer honestly and will not be offended if you want a second opinion
- Dr. Judith K. Volkar
