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.