What goes around…..comes around.

I had an interesting experience at the office today.  Not my first of this type, but a good one.  I went to a treatment room to see a patient that I have treated many times for Botox and small procedures.  I noticed that she would not make eye contact with me and thought that was odd. I asked her how her summer was and she said “terrible”, again while staring at the floor.  When I asked her why, she said she made a terrible mistake.  She went on to explain that she had consulted me months ago about a facelift, but on the recommendation of a friend, went to another surgeon and the result was a disaster.  I held her hand and reassured her that I am not offended and this happens to all doctors but I was sorry about her result.  Upon examination, she was correct, she had a poor surgical result.  Her incisions were improperly placed and noticeable, her neck still had much laxity, she had lost areas of tissue that healed with scars and had folds on her neck and chin from improper technique, to name the major problems.  She began crying and said she wanted to sue the other doctor.  I asked her who the other surgeon was and she told me.  She also told me that she should have know better than to go to him because when she told him that she had also consulted me, he “went off”.  She said this surgeon went into an embarrassing 5 minute diatribe about how I am unqualified to perform her facelift and many other degrading things about me.  She said that she already had paid a deposit and signed some papers so against her feelings she went ahead with the surgery.  She explained how disappointed she was and how much she suffered and how it ruined her entire summer.  She also reminded me that she asked me one time about this surgeon and I did not say anything negative about him and after his assault on me, she now sees the value of being a bigger person.  She stated “wow, you must really have taken a lot of this surgeons business for him to be that jealous, I am so sorry I did not choose you to begin with.” This was a good reminder of how astute patients really are. 

I again told her not to feel bad and that her actions were in the past and she can’t change that.  She spoke about suing the other surgeon which I totally discouraged, knowing that if the shoe was on the other foot, he would have relished in the process.  We began working on the scars and made a treatment plan to deal with the other problems and upon leaving, she gave me a hug.  I hope a lot of younger surgeons see this blog as there are a multitude of lessons to be learned in a case like this.  First of all, always speak with purpose and never lower yourself to the level of negative, insecure people.  You will always look bigger and patients can see right through an insecure surgeon.  Secondly, many doctors are victims of “competitive insecure bashing” and they should never let that bother them.  If a surgeon treats his or her patients like family and does good work, it will all catch up with the good doc and take away from the bad doc.  A Chinese proverb says “if you sit by the river bank long enough, you will eventually see the bodies of your enemies float by”.  It’s true.  Most doctors that talk trash are identifying themselves to that patient as insecure and intimidated by their competition.  If you can’t say something positive, then simply say “I don’t know anything about him”.  So today I wanted to thank Dr. X for his kind referral of this patient and all her friends.  I actually received patients without any marketing.  What goes around comes around.

To learn more about cosmetic facial surgery in Richmond, Virginia visit www.lovethatface.com

Joe Niamtu, III DMD

Cosmetic Facial Surgery

Richmond, Virginia

Can Cosmetic Surgery Change Your Life?

I recently came across this article about cosmetic surgery improving the quality of one’s life. An excerpt is shown below. Report: Facial Plastic Surgery Improves Quality of Life Facial plastic surgery improves patients’ quality of life, but the effects are different for men and women, researchers report in the March/April issue of the Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery.Jason A. Litner, MD, of the University of Toronto and colleagues conducted a study of 93 facial plastic surgery patients, of whom 82 (88%) were female. While 49% of patients underwent rhinoplasty, the remainder underwent surgery for the aging face. They were assessed after surgery and again 3 months later using the 59-item Derriford Appearance Scale (DAS59).Overall, there were significant improvements in DAS59 scores across all the domains of the scale and for all females, the researchers report. For men, the quality-of-life improvements were only in terms of general self-consciousness of facial appearance, and the quality-of-life domains most affected by rhinoplasty and surgery for the aging face were different.“Studies such as ours call attention to the fact that cosmetic surgery is not a superfluous ‘want’ but rather an answer to an important health concern that, in the patients’ eyes, cuts to the very heart of social desirability. It can, therefore, have implications for psychological happiness and quality of life equivalent to or, perhaps, greater than any other medical intervention,” the authors conclude.

The above article is interesting as it showed that the study respondents felt that cosmetic facial surgery improved their quality of life.  I have seen this many times in my own practice, but never push the concept on my patients.  Every day, patients return to the office after having small and or large procedures.  The look better, they feel better and seem to have a glow about them.  At consultation, I never promise that a procedure will change someone’s life, and in fact, I get a bit nervous when that is a patient’s primary reason for seeking surgery.  Cosmetic surgery can change one’s life in many ways, but it won’t save a bad marriage or guarantee a job promotion.  When patients ask “how much younger will I look” that may send up a red flag on their true intentions of having cosmetic surgery.  Obviously we all expect to look younger after cosmetic procedures, but it is impossible to quantify.  A doctor can’t tell a patient “if you do this, you will look 17 years younger”!  There is no way to measure or guarantee that.  Believe me, it sometimes happens.  There are some of my patients that have multiple procedures (laser resurfacing and facelift especially) that do look decades younger, but I never promise that. 

I do think there is a certain glow that most patients feel after having successful facial and neck rejuvenation.  They frequently seem to have a bit more pep in their step, pay more attention to hair make up and clothes.  Patients have related it to me with the analogy of how one feels when they take their car to the carwash.  You drive in with a dirty car and although you leave with the same car, it really makes you feel good to drive out with a better looking vehicle.  One patient told me that they have that same feeling, every day, since having their cosmetic facial surgery.  Another example is how a woman feels when they get their hair done.  They feel like a new person when they leave the beauty salon.

The bottom line is that cosmetic facial surgery (or any cosmetic surgery) can add to self confidence and boost self esteem and  the mood of most patients.  There is no guarantee that every patient will feel like this, but in my practice, I see it often.  This is one of the most rewarding things for a cosmetic surgeon when he or she sees their work making a positive influence in a patient’s life.  There is also no stronger marketing effort as a satisfied patient will spread the work of the surgeon’s skill.

A rational patient and surgeon should not expect miracles but should look forward to many positive changes that accompany cosmetic facial surgeries.

 

Joe Niamtu, III DMD

Cosmetic Facial Surgery

Richmond, Virginia