After 22 tax seasons in Washington Heights, I have come to know that many patients utilize their income tax refund checks to finance plastic surgery. It is kind of like found money, and it is a forced savings plan for some.

This year, we are in a government shutdown, and the thought is that these checks may be delayed. The IRS is a government agency, and they will be far behind in the processing of these refund checks. This may lead to a delay in surgery.

Of course, this is not universal. Many people are coming from other countries like Canada for these surgeries, and have managed to check out their options for their refunds beforehand. Still, it is worth noting that this will cause a shift in the general clientele.

February is when the fever usually starts, and it flows into August, as the schools let out and more people have time off. It will be interesting to see how the flow goes this year.

So with all of the craziness and partisan politics, none of the law makers have to forego their salaries as the other government employees do. The people living paycheck to paycheck who can least afford it are the ones getting pinched.

My message to those in charge is to start acting like grownups and learn to play together. Remember, you are in office to serve the people, not your party’s interests. Put the American people first. Do not delay cosmetic surgery. Make America Beautiful Again!

Plastic Surgeons are people, and they have friends and family like everyone else. We get sick, go to see doctors, and even need surgery at times. One of my favorite people is having surgery tomorrow. He is also a doctor, although not in my field.

Just like anyone else, he is a bit anxious about it. He knows that the overwhelming likelihood is that the surgery will go well, and no complications are anticipated, but a tiny bit of fear and respect always creeps in.

Doctors can be more nervous than the public at large, as they think of all of the cases that they have seen and heard of where something goes wrong. Will I wake up from the anesthesia, will they discover something they didn’t anticipate, what if I have a previously undiscovered allergy or medication reaction? Sometimes too much knowledge can be a negative.

As a physician and a friend, I am concerned for his well being, and have spoken to him about the procedure. I try to assure him that all will go well without invalidating his concerns. When it comes down to it, I will not be in the operating room, and he will not be able to participate in his own operation, so we are merely spectators as are most people in this situation.

I will think good thoughts, send positive vibes and be supportive, but as a doctor my degree is useless in this circumstance. Plastic Surgeons are people just like you.

As we march through our 22^nd year here in Washington Heights, the beginning of the year is a good time to lay out our vision for the calendar of the next 12 months. We try to stay fresh and relevant, and always work to improve the patient experience and what we can offer.

We have greatly expanded the nonsurgical offerings, utilizing the latest techniques of microneedling, PRP, and next generation lasers for tattoo removal, facials, scar corrections and skin rejuvenation. Upgraded RF technology allows for better skin tightening and minor fat reduction. Our skin treatments have really taken off with the latest skin care only offered through MD offices, and we have tailored them to our Hispanic patients as we do for all treatments.
We have created a custom electronic charting system which we will roll out to make less waste of paper and allow us instant access to each chart. We continue to add to it with patient portals so that you can access information from your home.

We will be upgrading our social media outreach with professional and educational posts to keep you up to date on hot topics and even on our pop up events and seminars and special offerings. More videos and quick advice on your questions are coming.

While we like to keep current, the one thing that will never change is our commitment to the Hispanic community and providing unsurpassed quality and information to keep them educated as to the safest and best options available. After 22 years here, I still feel I improve every day, and my passion for helping patients achieve their dreams burns strongly within me.

We look forward to seeing you in 2019 and beyond!

Since I started Yager Esthetics in 1997, I have seen tremendous changes in the way in which plastic surgery is marketed and consumed.  Like with most change, there has been good and bad.

In the past, in order to establish yourself in practice, you either joined a well known plastic surgeon or group as a junior partner, learned from them, and eventually grew your own patient base.  Many would seek out emergency room call to fill in the time.  The brave few would strike out on their own and try to attract patients via friends and colleagues, or host seminars to educate the public.

The next wave was reality television, as you let a production team film your life in and out of the office, making you a more household personality.  Public recognition helped leapfrog the years it took to build your name the old way.

Now, everyone wants to start at the top, and attracting attention is usually done via social media.  People in my field have gone so far as to don costumes and do singing acts in the operating room while performing surgery.  The reach is farther and more frequent than reality tv, enabling an instant impact.  The more extreme, the bigger the audience.  Many are not even plastic surgeons, but dermatologists, ENT’s, and OB-Gyn’s.

I started on my own, and built my practice by giving excellent service to each patient, and treating them all with respect.  Over time, patient to patient referrals have gotten to the point that I am one of the most well known and respected board certified plastic surgeons in my community.

My advice is to be true to your ethics, put the patients’ needs in front of your own, and be fair to them.  Simple and effective, but not instant. Just like in cooking, taking time and love inpreparation tastes better than instant.

One of the most clever Halloween couples costumes I saw this year was a husband and wife in an identical red dress and heels, the husband in a wig to match the wife’s hair, with he having hairy arms, chest and legs and in need of a shave.  She had a nametag that read “Filter”, he had one that said “No Filter.”

Not only are we becoming obsessed with social media and sharing photos of the best of ourselves, we try to further enhance our online perfection by adding in filters to give an even more unrealistic view of ourselves.  This can be harmful in many ways.

People are already self conscious, and low self esteem is quite common.  To make people feel even more insecure about how they look can lead to depression and body image disorders.  No one knows if a filter has been used or not.

As a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, I see a definite increase in patients seeking refinements of very small issues, especially in the face.  It is most definitely due to how they appear in photos on social media.

My advice is to live in the real world, stop wasting time worrying about how others look through filters, and see each other only face to face in person.  You might be surprised at how well you compare.