honest « Truth in Cosmetic Surgery

Why Dr D Dropped Saddleback Memorial Hospital

Posted by admin in Dr D's Truth on May 17, 2012

Those of you who know me know that I practice both cosmetic and reconstructive surgery and have done so for years. For about a decade I have maintained an office and a relationship with the hospital in San Clemente, now a Memorial hospital. Part of that relationship has been covering their emergency room and repairing what I believed to be my fair share of wounds in that environment. The hospital has had a mandatory call policy for plastics and a few other surgical specialties such as orthopedics and ENT. The hospital had not paid for this privilege or at least had not disclosed that they had.

Several things have changed in the last few years:

(1) Memorial bought the hospital. Their administration has a poor relationship with the majority of the medical staff to say the least.

(2) I moved to Long Beach, fifty miles away.

(3) I became aware that “under the table,” the hospital had been paying orthopedics to take call from 15 minutes away. (The two pods live closer to the hospital than I do.)

(4) A staff member from ENT was released from call after he made a request a few years ago.

So I made a request to be released from call and was told….if you want to keep privileges at the hospital you will take emergency room call. I informed the ever so considerate (note: sarcasm) medical staff that I would be dropping their hospital effective January 1 2011. Taking call from fifty miles away for free is BS, no matter how you slice it.

My belief is and has been that doctors accept way too much bull and rarely if ever do anything about it. Time to put my money where my mouth is. I will still maintain my San Clemente office, but not see patients at the hospital. If you are a physician considering privileges at this hospital, don’t expect them to be either forthright or honest. If you are looking to see Dr D, don’t go to Saddleback to do it.

Best Regards,

John Di Saia MD

Originally posted 2011-01-05 07:30:48.

honest, physician, plastic surgeon, privileges, resign, review, Saddleback Memorial, Saddleback San Clemente

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Liposuction : The Honest Truth

Posted by admin in Dr D's Truth, liposuction on April 18, 2012

Frequently patients who have received liposuction care elsewhere (usually somewhere else in Orange County California) find my practice or the blog here and e-mail. The points of confusion are usually issues regarding the qualifications of their former doctor and expectations of their result.

Who Can Do Liposuction Surgery?

Anyone who can get you to sign up….yeah really. There are no laws against practitioners trained in nearly any specialty performing liposuction. Doctors of differing backgrounds will have different technical skill in the surgery and will likely charge differing amounts for the service. Their philosophies will also likely be different. If a doctor only offers liposuction, he or she will probably perform it on anyone and everyone. There are practices of non-plastic surgeons who offer lipo to people to whom I would not. That is just a fact.

Can I Use Liposuction to Lose Weight?”

Practically speaking, liposuction is not a good way to lose weight. It is a contouring procedure best used on people with good skin tone meaning elastic non-droopy skin. You are better off having lipo when your weight is in a stable range…plus or minus a few pounds.

Will the Fat I Have Removed Ever Come Back?”

The fat cells you have removed are very unlikely to return, but you can fill the remaining fat cells up more. The is a technical point not frequently stressed by the shady outfits that advertise their liposuction services. This is why doing lipo is not weight loss. You need to use diet and exercise as well. Lipo can be good for areas resistant to diet and exercise.

Can New Liposuction technologies like Smart Lipo Tighten Skin? Are They Worth The Extra Money?

Not really. I have performed laser-assisted Liposuction, Smart Lipo and Ultrasound-assisted Lipo. After trying these differing technologies, I have returned to wet liposuction (a variant of tumescent lipo,) because I see the same results with less BS. I do not push BS.

Will a Plastic Surgeon Ever Tell A Patient “No?”

One who has integrity will and he or she is the one you want.

Best Regards,

John Di Saia MD

Dr D’s Website Liposuction Information

Originally posted 2010-07-07 07:30:04.

honest, lipo, liposuction, orange county, Smart Lipo, truth

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