Patient Satisfaction
January 26th, 2010
What cosmetic surgeries rated highest in patient satisfaction?
RealSelf.com has published a list of cosmetic procedures ranked on whether patients think having a particular procedure was worth it, based on patients answering their survey question, Was your cosmetic surgery or treatment worth it?
While the ranking of patient satisfaction for various cosmetic surgery procedures is debatable, I find that there are definitely favorites. For my own practice, breast enlargement and liposuction patients seem to be quite pleased with their decision to have cosmetic surgery. The survey came up with different conclusions. Maybe the ranking by RealSelf.com merely represents overall patient satisfaction, without taking into account the quality or training of the physician or technician performing the surgery or treatment.
According to the survey, the top two procedures, tummy tucks and breast reductions are rated at the top. They are almost always done by board certified plastic surgeons. The bottom two procedures, Veloshape and mesotherapy, are almost never done by board certified plastic surgeons. As you move from top to bottom on this list, the percentage of each procedure done by board certified plastic surgeons becomes less and less. For instance, tumescent liposuction, Smart Lipo, liposculpture, liposuction and Vaser lipo, are all done by board certified plastic surgeons, as well as general surgeons, dermatologists, head and neck surgeons (otorhinolaryngologists), family doctors, and gynecologists. In fact you can probably get some type of liposuction done by any medical or surgical subspecialist. Obviously, the medical training in such a wide spectrum of surgical providers can be extremely variable. The survey overlooked this important factor.
My own bias concludes that training is paramount when choosing a physician. Plastic surgery residency is intensely focused on aesthetics of the body and face and the sculptural aspects of surgery. In addition, the medical students who are most often drawn to a plastic surgery residency have both an aptitude and intense interest in the artistic aspects of surgery. Therefore, I believe that a key factor in patient satisfaction is to understand the qualifications of the person doing your surgery or treatment. However, as with all physicians, plastic surgeons do have dissatisfied patients, a fact of life in the practice of medicine in general. Choose wisely.
Correcting Lip Wrinkles
December 23rd, 2009
Lip wrinkles or “smokers lines†are the lines that radiate out from the lip margin. They can be the result of aging, sun exposure, smoking, and /or genetics. They often may make a person look older. Women generally dislike them because their lipstick runs into the wrinkles, giving a pronounced pursed look. As I mentioned earlier this week, skin resurfacing may reduce these wrinkles. What is the downside? Invariably there is bleaching of the skin, which more often than not requires make up to conceal.
Fortunately there are other choices to reduce lip lines. Injectable materials have made a dramatic contribution in the area of treating these wrinkles.
Filler materials are currently the first line of defense. Products like Restylane, Juvederm, and Perlane are a few of the ever-increasing number of filler type materials on the market today. They are injected under the skin and actually fill in the lines. These newer products are based on a hyaluronic acid formulation, a natural component of your normal skin. Interestingly, when lip lines become apparent, there is frequently a loss of lip size or fullness at the same time. Not only can the lines be corrected, but the lips can be restored to more youthful size and shape, as well.
I am less satisfied with a couple other products that are available. Botox injections that are used to reduce wrinkles for the lips, significantly changes the way in which your lips move and I think it looks very strange. I do not recommend Botox into the lips, but it can be effective to reduce forehead wrinkles.
I do not recommend having Radiesse injected into the lips. The material is too stiff and firm to offer a smooth and natural looking lip. The manufacturer of Radiesse does not recommend using this material for injection into the lips, however it is often used elsewhere, such as in the marionette lines or pre-jowl area.
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