*new* 5Feb12
With declining insurance reimbursements, more doctors are expanding their practices to include things like breast augmentation and liposuction paid for out-of-pocket by patients. http://nyti.ms/zJxfz7
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/31/us/for-soldier-disfigured-in-afghanistan-a-way-to-return-to-the-world.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha2
This is another example of how much our society is changing and revolving around money and beauty. Doctor's that don't specialize in plastic surgery should stay out of that area. When going to get a procedure done as a patient, I would double check the degrees that the doctor has and also get the back ground of the doctor's office by researching it online. By having to pay for the surgery out of pocket I can't see why anyone would make such a big choice without researching any other options or places.
ReplyDeleteI think its easier said than done. I would like to think that I would check to make sure he had the right certifications and accreditations but if I walked into a fancy office I might be fooled too. In a way these Doctors are manipulating and fooling people, they know that people in society trust them and are using it to their advantage. I think we need to start taking a closer look at our doctors instead of just trusting them because they have "Dr." in front of their name.
ReplyDeleteI think that most Americans today are naive enough to not ever consider that the doctor that they are seeking for treatment may not have all the proper accreditations. Today too many people go with the flow of how things are and never take the time to wonder and ask questions. I think people need to take the Car Fax commercial serious and ask doctors the same questions they would ask a salesman.
ReplyDeleteI find that these doctors performing these surgeries without making their patient aware they are not certified in plastic surgery is unfair. However, I agree that it would be easy for any typical American to be fooled. We are taught to trust medical staff especially doctors from an early age. A nice office and a doctor who states he knows what he is doing could fool anyone.
ReplyDeleteI agree, it's unfair for these doctor's to be be taking advantage of the patients. It's almost like a police officer harming you; you are taught to trust these people because it's their job and responsibility to protect you and keep you safe. However, I think the patients should be smart enough to know if an ear, nose, and throat doctor says they can perform plastic surgery especially if there is no insurance company involved. But you never know, it may be a different story when you are actually put in the situation.
ReplyDeleteI think we need to look at the root causes of WHY things they are the way that they are in today's society. If society viewed all types of women, young, old, short, tall, fat, skinny, as beautiful.... these doctor's wouldn't butcher people to make a few extra dollars.
ReplyDeleteWhy are these women so ready to accept these doctors' certifications if they aren't blinded by the fact that society doesn't view their bodies as beautiful. That's all they want to be.
I do think it is ethically wrong for doctors to perform surgery on patients when they aren't experienced in that field, but I also think that they wouldn't be doing that if people didn't have an undying need to change their bodies because society says they aren't pretty.
As long as the doctor is qualified to do the surgery well, I don't see any problem with this. The patient is paying for a service out of pocket (tax money and insurance money aren't goint toward it). Some people may see it as morally wrong to augment the body with plasic surgery, but some people also see it as wrong to get tatoos or peircings. To me, it's about autonomy and living up to your own self-image. If you want size D breasts and you have the means and we have the technology to do it relatively safely, then why shouldn't you? Society may pressure us to have ideals of the "perfect body", but that's not the fault of the plasic surgery industry, it's the fault of media. And who controls what media is out there..what "sells"? Us. So we want to change what people think is beautiful, we have to change what we spend our money on. Thats a completely different issue.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that by saying "expanding the practice" they mean the doctors aren't qualified or trained to do the work.
ReplyDeleteHonestly its a sad situation that happened to that lady but if you are going to make a life altering decision like plastic surgery you should probably do your homework on the right places to go for the procedure. Yes it's unfortunate this happened but it's her responsibilty to find out about the doctor before she does an "optional" surgery.
ReplyDeleteIt is very unfortunate what happened to the lady in this article. It is becoming more and more common that people are getting botched plastic surgery. I want to say that these people are stupid for not doing more research before they do something to major, but if I walked into an office that was very fancy and looked professional, I am not so sure that I would feel the need to do more research. It is very wrong for any doctor to perform procedures that are outside their scope of practice. However, I hope people learn from these mistakes and learn to do more research before doing an optional surgery.
ReplyDeleteI guess when it comes to doctors, a person most people place their full trust in, we really shouldn't judge a book by it covers! I don't think a fancy office or professional conduct should ever mean this the best doctor out there! There are so many resources out there that provide reviews of doctors and hospitals and when it comes to something as major as plastic surgery I don't think the appearance of the doctor should be enough to base a decision on.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand it is just heinous for a doc to perform procedure they weren't certified for or experienced in. It's not about people getting plastic surgery or not, its about the doctors being honest with the patient about their capabilities. Just because these people are paying out of pocket that does not mean they should be taken advantage of and Having the title doesn't give them the right to do everything out there!
If you're trusting your body/life to a doctor they should only be doing what their specific job is. They shouldn't be performing other procedures on you. However, if you are paying out of pocket for these then you should be the one doing your research as well. If you don't then you are a very vain fool with too much money and deserve what you get.
ReplyDeleteIt is important to look out for yourself and the care you want provided. Trust is not something that comes along during one visit, many times it is important to look for second opinions when it comes to care to make sure you have all the information you need to proceed or not proceed with any type of procedure, etc.
ReplyDeleteWow, this article was very interesting, yet not surprising in the least. I would say that If I was in that woman's position, and I walked into a doctors office, I probably wouldn't ask any questions either. You can be so easily fooled when you feel that you are trusting a professional. That doctor may have been the best in the business in his specific specialty, but obviously not in plastic surgery. LIke the article said, if the office is "fancy" and there are degrees hanging on the wall, with a trusting friendly staff, you do not ask questions. I was surprised how frequently this occurs. The fact that this woman was fooled into a procedure was similar to stories I have heard before, but it sounds like this is now more prevalent than ever. Obviously this woman should have done extensive research before she put her body at risk, but it would also be nice to think that you could actually trust the doctor you choose.
ReplyDelete