The Patient Escort After Plastic Surgery

Posted on

Whenever a patient undergoes a surgical procedure required sedation, regional, or general anesthesia, they are required to have a patient escort over the age of 18 to leave the office. This has always been the policy of Yager Esthetics, even before we became a AAAASF Accredited Surgery Center. It is amazing that some patients are annoyed at this rule.

The purpose of the patient escort is to have someone who is not altered by the medications that are given with anesthesia, and are not subject to the physical limitations imposed by the surgery so that they may help you arrive home safely. There should also be someone with you for at least the first 24 hours in case something happens and you are unable to call for help. It is common sense.

Going home in a taxi by yourself is never acceptable. If you pass out in the cab, what happens? If you get out of the cab and fall going into your home or building, who can help you? If you become confused or fall asleep from the anesthetic effects, who knows what might happen.

I know that some people live alone, and feel that it is embarrassing to tell someone they need help getting home from cosmetic surgery. It is a private matter, and not everybody has a person that they trust. If this is the case, ask about hiring a nurse or nurse’s aide to take care of you for the first night. They can pick you up and go home with you. Your safety is definitely worth the minor expense.

Terrorism and Plastic Surgery

Posted on

When we witness a senseless attack on society such as 9/11 or the bombing at the Boston Marathon, the first instincts are usually sadness and possibly fear. We reassess what we do, where we go, how we travel, and become more suspicious of people and situations around us. These are all natural responses, and it is difficult to change them.

What we should do is support the victims, seek out the people who committed the crimes, bring them to justice, and figure out how to prevent it from happening in the future. With the Marathon incident, I believe that is where we are right now.

What does this have to do with Plastic Surgery? I feel that Cosmetic Plastic Surgery is the epitome of the American way of life. We do not apologize for success and the ability to invest our hard earned money in our own happiness. Whether it is a new pair of shoes, a fancy car, or a little liposuction, it is our right to enjoy.

I am well aware that there are more important things in life then your appearance, and for some Plastic Surgery is frivolous. I am not suggesting that Plastic Surgery is a way to protest terrorism. What I suggest is that we be vigilant, but not change what it means to be an American, and enjoy the freedoms our ancestors have fought so hard for.

Beauty Pageants and Plastic Surgery

Posted on

I was recently interviewed on Levantate on Telemundo to discuss beauty pageant contestants and plastic surgery. Is it ok for them to undergo a procedure to enhance their beauty, or is it cheating? It is an interesting topic to discuss.

No one has a problems with makeup for pageants, even though it can cover flaws and make you appear more beautiful than you actually are. It is accepted as a part of the normal routine. False eyelashes, high heels, and even hair weaves all seem to be ok as well. Even some form shaping undergarments are used.
I think you need to be very careful with cosmetic plastic surgery. While it is available to all, it is a surgery and has risks. It can potentially improve your beauty which may be against contest rules. If not, I think certain operations are more understandable than others.

If you are super slender, but have a small pocket of exercise resistant fat, it may be impossible to safely remove it with diet and exercise. To become anorexic or be forced to keep your body fat at an absurdly unhealthy level may be dangerous to these women. I would much prefer a selective liposuction.
What if a woman is born with a deformed nose, or has an accident resulting in a crooked nose? Should she be barred from competition? How about a cleft lip? The slope becomes very slippery.

My opinion is that if it is allowed by the rules of the pageant, and if it will help a woman in her future career, more power to her. Just be safe and do it for the right reasons.

Honesty

Posted on

I am sure by now many of you have heard of the tragic case of the woman who went to a Plastic Surgeon in Brooklyn for a discount liposuction and died. The important parts of the story are that she had previously undergone a heart transplant, and that after she died, her Plastic Surgeon allegedly changed her medical record to hide that fact.

While it is horrible when anyone dies after an elective cosmetic surgery, it is one of the very infrequent but possible risks of any procedure. Even if the surgeon does everything perfectly, this can certainly happen. Pulmonary emboli, fat emboli, cardiac events and strokes can occur in the perioperative period regardless of the type of surgery. The problems with this case are the fact that she was a transplant patient, had an office procedure, and her doctor changed her chart after.

I have operated on patients after liver transplant and kidney transplants for all types of procedures. I always contact the primary care and transplant team prior to accepting the patient to determine if it is safe and where the best place to perform the operation would be. Medication management around the procedure is also key. I do not believe this happened here.

Changing a medical record is against regulations and law. The chart is a record of patient care meant to tell the story to whoever needs to know what occurred. It is never 100% perfect, as you cannot transcribe every single word exchanged between you and your patient and all of your staff. It should be accurate, though.
Please be careful when you select a Plastic Surgeon for your procedure, and make sure he/she is doing the right thing for you, not for their financial benefit. If something feels off, do not bargain hunt. You only have one life.