Archive for August, 2012

Toronto Plastic Surgeon and Sex With A Patient

Posted by admin in plastic surgery news, Smart Doctors on August 31, 2012

Prominent Toronto plastic surgeon Sammy Jo Sliwin warned his lover that if he performed a breast augmentation surgery on her, they could no longer have sex. Sliwin, 56, is facing the revocation of his medical license by the college for having sexual relations with a patient. The office romance fostered after months of flirting between long-time friends and they had in sex in the office, she testified. Within days of their first sexual encounter, the woman, who was his office manager at the time, asked Sliwin to perform the surgery.

The secretive affair lasted six years and four surgeries that she requested and that he performed free of charge. In the end, she decided to launch a $2.5 million lawsuit in 2009, citing sexual abuse and exploitation.
Source: torontosun.com/2012/08/20/prominent-toronto-plastic-surgeon-
could-lose-licence-over-lovers-complaint

I guess there is no sexual harassment in Canada. Dr X here has an affair with a woman working in his office and she tries to put the hit on him for some free surgery. This actually happens in some practices not infrequently I have heard. Now a medical tribunal of sorts in Canada is looking into taking his license for sleeping with a patient. How about trying her for trying to steal some free surgery? The suit for exploitation is kinda backwards don’t you think?

There was stupidity all the way around here. Dr X should not have relations with his staff and she should not be using her charms to obtain free surgery and then add to the insult by trying to sue for millions.

A Parting Note: Don’t worry though folks. Although I do sleep with one of my patients, she is my wife. :)

Best Regards,

John Di Saia MD

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Gynecologists Alarmed by Growth of Female Genital Surgery

Posted by admin in plastic surgery news on August 30, 2012

Female genital cosmetic surgery is a small segment of the U.S. plastic surgery market, but it is growing, with thousands of women estimated to undergo such procedures every year. That growth comes despite a warning from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), in a 2007 notice to member physicians, that strongly questioned the medical validity and safety of female genital cosmetic surgery. Earlier this year the group debated the trend at its annual meeting in San Diego.

“None of these procedures have proven effectiveness, and there is potential for harm,” Dr. Cheryl Iglesia, a Washington, D.C., gynecologist and former ACOG committee member, wrote in an editorial published in the June issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “Women are being misled or are confused about what is normal,” she wrote — and about what constitutes a condition that can actually be helped through treatment.

Source: chicagotribune.com/health/sns-rt-us-usa-health-
gynecologybre87o055-20120825,0,1842943.story

Here we go again. The groin-e-cologists are coming out to bag genital surgery. They have done this before; last year actually.

Dr. Iglesia is not exactly correct however. When ACOG originally published their committee recommendations, they stated: “only labiaplasty, which involves trimming and reshaping part of the external genitalia, is well documented in the scientific literature.” While I agree with Dr. Iglesia about certain aspects of surgery in this very private area, not all female genital surgery is dangerous and/or ineffective. It is certainly the potential patient’s task to carefully select what they will allow in choosing surgery in this very specialized area.

That which I perform works very well and I do not mis-characterize it in any way. The keys are focus, selection and surgical technique.

Best Regards,

John Di Saia MD

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Marc Summers and Emergency Plastic Surgery

Posted by admin in plastic surgery news on August 29, 2012

Last week Marc Summers was involved in a crash during a taxi ride in rainy Philadelphia that resulted in several broken facial bones. He has since undergone emergency plastic surgery.
On Thursday Summers was riding in the back seat of a Philly cab when the vehicle hydroplaned losing control. During the accident Summers was thrown into the clear partition inside the cab face first. He was rushed to hospital where doctors quickly put his face back together during a 4 hour operation.
Source: digitaljournal.com/article/331105

Facial fractures are emergency plastic surgery although not everyone gets them repaired so quickly. I’d wager the VIP factor worked its way in here.

I have discussed (and written about) my cessation of emergency plastic surgery services. The sad fact is that most emergency plastic surgery patients don’t see to it that their bills get paid. That was my experience over the 15 years that I performed this kind of work. At least in this case I am reasonably assured that the doctors didn’t work for free. :)

Best Regards,

John Di Saia MD

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Dan Rather: Plastic Surgery Thoughts While Watching Wendy Williams

Posted by admin in celebrity plastic surgery on August 28, 2012

I have discussed my liking for Wendy Williams before. I appreciate her candor which is so uncharacteristic of Hollywood types on many topics including of course plastic surgery. Well watching her show today she had Dan Rather on.

Dan Rather is a big name in the news, but his politics have always turned me off. I wish he could keep his mouth shut, but I digress.

Today while actively trying to distract myself from his ideas which have always struck me like nails on a chalkboard, it occurred to me that Dan is eighty (eighty-one actually) and for eighty he looks really good.

No disrespect intended, but no one looks that good at eighty without some help. :) He is almost certainly a plastic surgery client… probably a facelift or two and a few eyelid jobs over many years and nicely done I might add.

Best Regards,

John Di Saia MD

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Reader Laura & Vampire Facelift WebSite Claims

Posted by admin in Advertising Truth, Plastic Surgery Tech Gimmicks, Reader Question on August 24, 2012

Reader Laura’s Comment:
“I found this plastic surgeon offering the Vampire facelift. It is a liquid facelift that uses blood derived growth factors from the patients. It uses fillers and stem cells from the patient. This sounds like another sale gimmick but I was wondering if you think there’s anything to this. Would this procedure give you anything like a regular facelift? What would be the possible side effects from this procedure? It also appears the Dr offering this isn’t a plastic surgeon. He lists that he has certificates from American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery and the American Academy of Cosmetic Physicians. Does this make him a board certified plastic surgeon?”

Advertising in plastic surgery is a carnival act in many cases. The unusual gets featured and a liquid facelift sounds unusual, doesn’t it? Suffice it to say I do not offer the vampire facelift as I have not seen any good evidence that it works.

What the the risks? Well what the risks of having any new and untested treatment? The sky’s the limit here.

With this being said it is no surprise to me that the doctor offering this is not a board certified plastic surgeon. My definition of a “board certified plastic surgeon” is one certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. The American Board of Cosmetic Surgery is not an accredited American Board of Medical Specialists. This is just my opinion of course. :)

Best Regards,

John Di Saia MD

Related:

Credentials in Plastic Surgery

Cosmetic Surgeon versus Plastic Surgeon-
What’s the Difference?

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Reader Question: My Plastic Surgeon Doesn’t Care About Me! What Do I Do?

Posted by admin in Dr D's Truth on August 21, 2012

I got breast implants from a well known doctor, but now that I am having problems he doesn’t want to see me. Do I try to go to another doctor? When I call other doc offices for an appointment, they tell me to go back to the doctor who doesn’t care. What do I do?

Perhaps the only time you really know you have chosen the right doctor is when things are not going well. Many doctors who perform cosmetic work are not so great about after care and patients who are not happy are the hardest to resolve after surgery. Some docs therefore delegate this duty to others in their offices. If your doc handles a bad situation like this personally, he is really good. It doesn’t sound like you are in that position unfortunately.

You are best served by making it work with your current surgeon as he knows the most about your case. Try to sit down and in a very non-accusatory fashion lay out what you see as wrong with your result. If you can’t get to a reasonable place with your original surgeon, you will have to try to get a second opinion. As you have surmised, may docs may not want to be that second opinion doctor.

Having seen “problem cases” originally operated elsewhere over the years, I can understand why others docs may be hesitant to get involved. Most outside docs feel like the problems of other docs should be fixed by those other docs. Secondary surgery can be harder or relate to things that cannot be fixed. There is also the possibility that second opinion patients might be looking to get legal with their original surgeon. Any doctor may worry about getting involved in that. Time is money.

I do hope you are able to get the problem fixed to your satisfaction.

Best Regards,

John Di Saia MD

Originally posted 2011-08-04 07:30:57.

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Reader Story: “Smart Lipo Ruined My Tummy”

Posted by admin in Reader Question on August 21, 2012

I am curious about your thoughts on smart lipo. I had this procedure done about 18 months ago. At 6 months I felt and looked great but a year later I started to inflate! I have been a skinny cowgirl my whole life. The difference between my body from now and about two years ago, is disparaging. I got the procedure because I was “the perfect candidate” with only a troubled spot on my belly due to not being able to exercise because of a work injury. Like I said, at first I looked great but slowly, none of my clothes would fit me; especially blouses (which I have had for years).

[N]ow I am stuck with sagging skin and folds and a lot of discomfort; not to mention breasts the size of which I never experienced before in my life! I feel I need a tummy tuck (though I am afraid of possible side effects such as a numb abdomen forever). My figure has been absolutely ruined. My doctor (also my GP) just said: did you gain weight? And~ yeah I did. But how? How so much?

I feel it is a procedure marketed and targeted at women just like me; but when the results are bad, we are blamed. Yet it is the procedure itself that is to blame.

We have discussed less-than-appropriate marketing in plastic surgery before. We have also discussed Smart Lipo in this light.

Blaming the procedure is not entirely appropriate though. You yourself admitted that you had your GP perform your liposuction. I would suggest to you that if your surgery was performed (or the decision made not to perform it) by a qualified board-certified plastic surgeon, then you would likely have been better served. You might not be where you are today if this had been the course of events. What led you to choosing your GP for cosmetic surgery?

Smart Lipo is just one of a number of machines that allows a surgeon to perform liposuction. Not everyone who offers Smart Lipo is a plastic surgeon. Your doctor was not.

Without seeing you I can hardly suggest a course of action, but high on your list should be addressing diet and exercise before the consideration of any more surgery. Liposuction does not take the place of diet and exercise. It doesn’t prevent you from gaining weight. It is not a weight loss procedure.

While I feel for your situation, I would hope that reading this might help someone else avoid a similar circumstance.

Best Regards,

John Di Saia MD

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Lil Kim Not Looking So Great – Too Much Plastic Surgery?

Posted by admin in celebrity plastic surgery club, too much hurts on August 20, 2012

Lil’ Kim appeared at the L.A. Pride 2012 in West Hollywood over the weekend showing off a new look reportedly granted by the efforts of plastic surgery. The surgery was not an apparent success, as many reported that Kim had crossed the line with the number of procedures that she had committed to. Caught in a not-so-flattering picture, Lil’ Kim appeared on stage with a dragging smile, unkempt hair, and almost unrecognizable features, according to some.
Source: global.christianpost.com/news/lil-kim-surgery-gone-bad-
lip-not-working-photos-76820/

From the looks of Lil Kim, she’s had more than her fair share of plastic surgery. She also appears to have taken to the filler craze with unnaturally plump features mixed with overly tightened adjacent skin. Without seeing her lips move it is difficult to comment on the issue of lip paralysis although such movement irregularities are commonly the effects of invasive plastic surgery in complicated patients.

Trying to blame her current appearance on any one surgeon or procedure is too difficult in this light. Another surgeon who commented in this piece was on the blame game. Maybe he was not aware of her history?

Best Regards,

John Di Saia MD

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Reader Laura on St Louis Plastic Surgeon & Named Naked Patient Pictures

Posted by admin in plastic surgery news, Smart Doctors on August 15, 2012

Reader Laura’s Comment:

“10 patients of a St Louis Plastic surgeon are suing their doctor for nude pictures that were taken of them and then placed on the web. The photo filenames were the same as of the name of the person depicting. What do you think of this? Who’s fault do you think it is that the patients’ dames were released?”

Ten horrified plastic surgery patients are suing their doctor after finding pictures of their naked selves posted alongside their names on the internet. They said they were outraged when internet searches of their names pulled up before and after photographs of their breasts, which they say they had been led to believe would be used only anonymously.

Some found the photos doing internet searches of their own names, others were informed by friends who came across the images. All 10 of the suits accuse Kirkwood plastic surgeon Dr Michele Koo of negligence and lawyers claim there are more than 30 other women who suffered the same mis-treatment.

Source: dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2187741/Ten-outraged-women-
sue-plastic-surgeon-finding-naked-photos-online-names-dozens-
more.html

I can see how this might happen the way images are handled in some practices. Many doctors delegate the handling of patient images to a staff member. Dr D handles them himself. Using some commercially available software, image data such as a patient’s name can be embedded in the image. A staff member then is assigned to transfer images to an online marketing service and there you go!

How So I Avoid This?

I do not modify images using such a program and ask patients before using their images online. Then I program my own web site. This is a benefit that patients have using a smaller more discreet practice. Their information is kept discreetly.

I am not a lawyer, nor do I play one on television, but I would wager that Dr Koo will be writing a big check.

Best Regards,

John Di Saia MD

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Jerry Hall: “Plastic Surgery is a Sickness”

Posted by admin in Celebs a Talkin' on August 13, 2012

Former supermodel Jerry Hall has criticized women who have plastic surgery, branding them monsters. The tall Texan, who was married to Mick Jagger for nine years, spoke out on an American TV documentary.

Ms Hall, 56, said: “I think it is bad that we have as role models people who are scary to small children. I’m definitely not going to have plastic surgery. I think it s a sickness. I see people who have had work done and I don t even recognize them. They re like monsters, scary!”
Source: iol.co.za/lifestyle/style/beauty/plastic-surgery-a-sickness-
jerry-hall-1.1357298

There are of course plenty of examples online of people who have taken plastic surgery too far, but is it a “sickness?” To those who go overboard it might very well be, but what about the millions who have had successful experiences: Are they monsters? If that is the case, many people you know and many you don’t know would be included.

Either Ms Hall has been taken out of context or has extreme opinions of plastic surgery. She isn’t the first in either category and won’t be the last. It would be nice to be a fly on the wall when she said this to try to figure what she is really thinking.

Best Regards,

John Di Saia MD

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