Family Doctor or Plastic Surgeon?

Terrible story coming out of Las Vegas. A woman won a free breast augmentation by the doctor of a medspa, the Skin Body Institute. She had the surgery performed under local anesthesia, but then sufferred horrible complications. Some details from ABC 13:

- She was awake for the whole procedure, and was crying the entire time. The doctor reprimanded her for complaining during the painful procedure.
- Just weeks later the implant became infected and was exposed through the skin.
- She subsequently underwent 10 hours of surgery under local anesthetic to try to fix the problem.
- Two weeks later she presented to the ER with ruptured and exposed implants.
- The doctor had made ten centimeter incisions (mine are typically 3 cm for saline, 4 cm for silicone).
- The doctor's website had stated he was board-certified.
- He was not certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, but by the Family Practice board.
- Still, his website listed him as an associate member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, the American Society of Laser Medicine and Surgery, American Society of Liposuction Surgery, and the American Society of Cosmetic Dermatology and Aesthetic Surgery.
-His license has been suspended.

This is another terrible incident where the patient didn't do her homework and was the victim of a phony plastic surgeon. This unfortunately happens more often than most people realize. Always choose a surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. As you can see above, a doctor in a bunch of other societies isn't the same.

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Surgical Roulette - Risks of Surgery with a Phony Plastic Surgeon

The Times Publication has an outstanding article chronicling the story of Dr. Peter Normann, an Arizona-based Internal Medicine and Emergency Room specialist who masqueraded as a plastic surgeon. In a span of seven months three unsuspecting patients died under his care. The article highlights the unfortunate and shocking stores of several of his victims. It's a fascinating read. From the article:

While the cosmetic horror stories described by the patients of Peter Normann represent some of the most egregious in the state's history, research shows they are part of a larger and growing danger of ill-equipped and inadequately trained plastic surgeons performing invasive cosmetic procedures.Normann, an emergency room and internal medical physician, was never certified as a plastic surgeon. In other cases, some Valley physicians certified to practice as gynecologists or even ear, nose and throat doctors have been found to be practicing cosmetic surgery, many with little more experience than a weekend training course.
The results are patients being left scarred, disfigured, and in three of Peter Normann's cases, dead.

In response to the growing number of phony plastic surgeons, the Arizona Medical Board released a Guide to Choosing a Cosmetic Surgeon. You can find it here.

Even here in Metro Detroit there are numerous physicians who are performing plastic surgery with little more than a weekend course's training. If you are thinking of having plastic surgery, make sure your surgeon is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. All members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, so this is a good place to find a plastic surgeon for you.

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

Plastic Surgeon? Cosmetic Surgeon? Phony Doc?

Recently there have been several articles detailing bad events that have occurred at the hands of people who aren't board-certified plastic surgeons. Here are a sampling:

1. A family practice physician who considers himself a specialist in cosmetic surgery and advertises as a plastic surgeon was recently reprimanded by the State Board of Medicine for prescription fraud. He wrote prescriptions for patients and family members, using them to obtain drugs "for his own personal and unauthorized use." Click here for the story.

2. A Bronx mother dies after undergoing silicone injections by a "non-medical, unlicensed person." Click here for story.

3. A Head and Neck surgeon is accused of performing liposuction without a patient's consent. She had planned on having a tummy tuck only, but accuses him of performing a facelift and liposuction too. Click here for story.

The American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons holds its members to strict ethical guidelines which many other "cosmetic"-type societies do not. It's not surprising, then, that most of the crazy plastic surgery-related news comes from physicians who are not certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

Here are two well-written articles by laypeople who focus on the difference between a "Plastic surgeon" and "Cosmetic surgeon."

1. What's the Difference Between a Plastic Surgeon and Cosmetic Surgeon?
2. Cosmetic Surgery Advice-- Consider the Source.

On my website I've written "How to Choose a Plastic Surgeon." Click here for it.

It's not enough for your "cosmetic surgeon" to have just stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night!

Thanks for reading.

Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:

How Do You Choose a Plastic Surgeon?

I've received numerous emails asking me how a prospective patient should choose a plastic surgeon. Unfortunately, with medical insurance reimbursements declining, many physicians are attempting to become "plastic surgeons" in order to make more money. This can be anyone from your family doctor to your ER physician to even your dentist. There is no law against a person calling themselves a plastic surgeon or even advertising themselves as that in the paper or yellow pages. Heck, I can put an ad out that says I'm the world's best cardiologist, and if I could convince you to let me perform angioplasty on you then there is no law against it!
My first advice to a patient is to go to the website: http://www.plasticsurgery.org and find surgeons certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery in your area. This website lists nearly every board-certified plastic surgeon in the U.S.
Second, make sure that the board-certified plastic surgeon you select is proficient in the surgery you are interested in having. Plastic surgeons are trained in a wide array of plastic surgery, including hand, reconstructive, and cosmetic surgery. Just because I was fully trained in hand surgery doesn't mean you want me reattaching your thumb!
Third, meet with the surgeon(s) to make sure you are comfortable with him or her. There is no better indication of how your surgical experience will be than the face-to-face consultation with the surgeon. If you don't meet the surgeon during the consultation or it is very rushed, it is an indication that the surgeon may also rush your surgery and may not take care of you afterwards.
Finally, there is a difference between a cosmetic surgeon and a plastic surgeon. The field of plastic surgery is very difficult to enter, as the residency positions are extremely competitive to obtain and consist of at least five years of rigorous training with at least two of those years dedicated to plastic surgery. Cosmetic surgeons, on the other hand, can be trained in one of many fields, including ENT, general surgery, OB-Gyn, and dermatology. Often, these practitioners can abruptly change their medical practice to become a cosmetic surgeon with as little as one year of cosmetic surgery training. I once had the family physician of a patient of mine try to convince her to cancel her facelift with me so that the family doc could perform the facelift herself! Crazy!
Now, there are some outstanding cosmetic surgeons out there, don't get me wrong. I often send difficult eyelid reconstructions to oculoplastic colleagues of mine, who would do a much better job than I. Just do your homework and make sure that your surgeon has the training to do the surgery you want. Although he or she may perform a fantastic rhinoplasty, it may not be wise to let a facial plastic surgeon (an ENT with additional training in plastic surgery of the face) perform your breast augmentation. This happens more often than you may think (especially here in metro Detroit).
Good luck and feel free to comment.

Thanks for reading.
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.: