According to the 111 patients ages 19-72 (51 average) who were surveyed by the APSI, a doctor’s board certification status is the most important consideration in choosing a plastic surgeon.

This may be surprising to some who believe that cost is the most crucial or deciding factor for patients considering plastic surgery, however this study shows that cost is actually the least important consideration in plastic surgeon selection.

In addition to board certification status and cost, study participants were also asked to measure the importance of other decision-making factors, including:

• Method of referral
• Travel distance from home to office
• Office décor
• Experience, or number of years in practice

The study asked 10 men and 101 women which of these factors was most important and found that the average importance of a plastic surgeon’s board certification status was nearly 40%, followed by method of referral at 23.5% and travel distance from home to office at slightly over 13%.

Of least importance on average were office décor (9%), experience, or number of years in practice, (7.5%) and procedure cost (7.2%).

Plastic surgery organizations, such as the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, have long underscored the importance of selecting a surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery for cosmetic and reconstructive surgery procedures, and the results of this study indicate that patients seem to have taken notice of this principle.

Cost, of course, is an important consideration for everyone in the current economic climate, but most plastic surgeons also agree that it should be the final consideration in the plastic surgeon selection process.

“It is much more expensive to try to fix a bad result than to get it done properly the first time. So make […] prices a part of your decision process, but definitely not the top priority,” advises Seattle plastic surgeon Dr. Richard Rand.

Pop star Anastacia recently had a lumpectomy and breast reduction surgery performed in a Manhattan plastic surgery office in hopes of maintaining her privacy until she was ready to publicly discuss her bout with breast cancer.

Dr. Andrew Kornstein, the surgeon who facilitated Anastacia’s in-office lumpectomy and performed her breast reduction, said that his office sees about one breast cancer surgery patient per month.

Once word got out about the success of her procedures, more and more New York plastic surgeons are quietly adding breast cancer surgeries followed by immediate breast reconstruction to their menu of services.

Dr. Kornstein also noted that most of the breast cancer surgeries performed in his office are done after patients have come for cosmetic surgery consultation and found that they have breast cancer.

Although it is legal to perform breast cancer surgery procedures such as mastectomies outside hospitals in accredited surgical centers, many plastic surgeons feel that doing so may be unsafe for patients.

Dr. Tracy Pfeifer, a plastic surgeon who specializes in breast reconstruction and breast implants in New York City, said of the new in-office breast cancer surgery trend, “I believe that patients receive more comprehensive care when they are managed by a team of physicians who specialize in breast cancer.  I don’t know of any teams that do this in the office.”

Dr. Pfeifer also expressed concern over the lack of pathology facilities available in office-based surgical suites and noted that in-office breast cancer surgeries are simply “not the accepted standard of care.”

Other critics of in-office mastectomies suggest that some plastic surgeons are encouraging the trend to move breast cancer surgery out of hospitals to line their own pockets.

“When you look at the economics, you know that if a plastic surgeon owns his own operating room, it’s [financially] better for him to do the surgery there,” said Dr. Evan Garfein of Montefiore Medical Center.

Dr. Garfein added, “You have to ask, ‘Why is this being done?’ If there’s a trend like this, it should be because patients are demanding it. Plastic surgeons shouldn’t be driving a trend to get patients out of hospitals.”

Due to the often-unclear distinction between cosmetic and reconstructive surgeries, and the fact that nearly 90 percent of cosmetic procedures are done on women, The ASPS has labeled the tax plan “discriminatory, arbitrary, and a potential auditing nightmare.”

According to the New York Times, “the tax would be paid by patients, but collected by doctors and clinics and forwarded to the government.”  Those patients – who are often middle class working females – would generate (a projected) $5 billion towards the $849 billion healthcare reform bill over the next ten years.

ASPS members are being asked to contact their representatives in congress or login at capitolconnect.com to take action.

If breast reconstruction is performed immediately after mastectomy,  the traumatic psychological effects can be minimized significantly.  Also, if the mastectomy is performed in cooperation with a plastic surgeon, the results are far more likely to be  acceptable.

Health professionals have combined two disciplines to form a new specialty called oncoplastic surgery.  According to Dr. Gail Lebovic, president of the American Society of Breast Disease, this speciality allows surgeons to “look at a woman in a holistic way.”  Lebovic also comments, “When you’re able to offer reconstructive techniques at the same time, breast cancer surgery is not as horrible a thought.”

Here are 5 other reasons to be optimistic about breast cancer and reconstruction, provided by health writer Susan Brink:

1. More research and increased knowledge about breast cancer
2. Less traumatic surgery
3. Safer radiation
4. Fewer complications
5. Better breast reconstruction

Click here to read more about breast reconstruction in Indiana and see breast reconstruction before & after photos.

First of all, there are two types of forehead wrinkles a patient may need to address.
•    Dynamic wrinkles are caused by active movement of the facial muscles.
•    Static wrinkles are present without contraction of facial muscles, as if they are ‘etched’ into your face.

The neuromuscular blocking action of Botox (or Dysport) is perfectly suited to treat dynamic wrinkles.  That’s why Botox injection is regarded as the best and least invasive method of addressing forehead wrinkles.

Botox may help soften static wrinkles but will not cause them to completely go away. To go beyond what Botox can achieve and further erase these wrinkles, additional procedures such as laser therapy may be appropriate.

Soft tissue fillers, Juvederm and Restylane, may also be beneficial when used in conjunction with these procedures.