The Rude Patient and Plastic Surgery

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I had a very unpleasant experience in my office with a patient who thought they were more important than my other patients and staff. They came late, were on their cell phone several times throughout the consult and visit, without apologizing or trying to end the call, did not want to follow the office protocol regarding paying prior to their service, demanding a discount, and complaining the entire time. This is unacceptable.

Plastic Surgery is a business, and a business needs to make money to stay in existence. No money is worth dealing with a rude or disrespectful patient. I refuse to treat anyone differently in my office, if they have $1 or $1.000.000,000 to their name. Each patient is special, and deserves my courtesy and professionalism as long as they are respectful.

When you visit your Plastic Surgeon, make sure you behave well, and make sure he/she is respectful as well. If your Plastic Surgeon takes cell phone calls during your consult, does not answer your questions, or is disrespectful in any way, do not stay under their care. Respect is a two way street.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

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Like the rest of you in the Northeast, I am quite tired of this endless winter of snow. It is cold, inconvenient, and disruptive. Many schools close, businesses as well. As a Plastic Surgeon, my cases are elective, so technically I can choose to reschedule. The problem is, my patients can’t reschedule their lives.

I have never cancelled a surgery day, despite blizzard conditions. If my patients can make it to Yager Esthetics safely, as well as get home without undue risk, I will walk to my office through the night to make it happen. I am that committed.

When a patient plans surgery, they are often taking time off from work or school that is not easily changed at the last minute. Only a certain number of days are granted each year, and only at very specific times.

Childcare is also an issue. Many of my patients have family flying in from out of the country to help, and this too is an effort to be coordinated. Some send their children out of the country, and these flights cost money to change.

Preoperative testing is also only valid for a short period of time, and often your insurance won’t pay to repeat it in a certain amount of time. Getting another appointment with your primary care physician is also difficult at times.

From my end, surgeries are booked months in advance, and anesthesia and nursing must be arranged. I have a limit to the number of cases I can do expertly in a day, and simply adding the patients on to the next surgery day is unsafe at times.

I can’t control the snow, but I can make every effort to not let it ruin our plans. Let it snow, I will be here as promised. And thank all of you for doing the same.

Four Years of Blogging

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I was just reviewing some old topics for my blog, and noticed that I started in 2010! Four years of weekly blogs means around 200 topics covered. Plastic Surgery is a multifaceted field, and there is still much fertile ground to cover.

What has changed at Yager Esthetics in four years? We have our beautiful new 6000 sf facility which provides a wonderful space for the Hispanic community to experience the latest in cosmetic surgery and nonsurgical treatments.
We have the Y Gallery, a dedicated permanent gallery space within Yager Esthetics for Hispanic Artists to display and sell their work for free. It also allows us to carry out our Pequenos Picassos program to bring art to the local schools.

We have our Vein Center, where your spider veins can be treated with the safest products specific for latin skin tones. Our dedicated Nurse Injectors have tremendous experience insuring a safe outcome.

We have the latest treatment for loose skin and minor fat deposits that is not surgical- Exilis Elite. In only 3-6 treatments done weekly, virtually all areas of the body can be improved. It was the Best Skin Tightening Device of the Year in 2013.
We have Silk Peel, which has been great not only in skin care and anti aging, but in the treatment of stretchmarks and dark scarring with our new protocols.

The one thing that hasn’t changed, and never will, is our 100% dedication to the Hispanic community, which we have maintained since opening in 1997, 17 years ago. The more things change, the more they remain the same.

The Cold and Plastic Surgery

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As I write this blog, it is 2 degrees outside in NYC. I don’t mind the cold, but I do mind 2 degrees. It is ridiculous. It did get me to think about what the cold has to do with Plastic Surgery.

One of the advances has been the use of cold to remove fat without surgery, called cryolipolysis. When the fat cells are subjected to sufficiently cold temperatures, the outer layer, or membrane, bursts, and the fat cell dies. You process the fat, and it is excreted when you urinate. The key is to make it not harm the skin on top, and to be comfortable to tolerate for a patient. There are a few machines on the market that do a fair job at this, but the areas you can treat are limited, and it requires many treatments over a period of time to get your results. I think this treatment is fine for the right patient for a limited area of fat who is not a candidate for surgery or is opposed to it.

The cold also decreases the growth of bacteria. This is why the operating room is almost always kept cold. Studies have shown that temperature has a direct correlation with infections and bacterial growth.

Many patients elect to do Cosmetic Plastic surgery during the Winter months, as the girdles that are used can be uncomfortable for some in the heat. Also, you can cover swelling and bruising more easily with the heavier clothing used in this weather.

So, the cold is not all bad for Plastic Surgery. It just is inconvenient for Plastic Surgeons to be outside.