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Facelift – What You Need to Know
By admin | June 25, 2010
A Facelift at an HMO?
Recently we had a lady present with evidence of rather poor cosmetic plastic surgery done at a local HMO. She had had a facelift which was not satisfactory. Then followed, by the same medical group, a second procedure. Then, some injections of fat into the neck – an unorthodox procedure – to correct some still persistent deformities.
I reviewed the medical records and was very dismayed at what I saw. It was obvious to me that the surgeons were not focused and dedicated cosmetic surgeons. Of course it makes sense. An HMO is a “Health Maintenance Organization”. It is in business to provide health services; medical care for illness. It is not a cosmetic surgery institute.
Why an HMO takes on cosmetic surgery or allows its surgeons to do that is a bit beyond me. It may not be the norm in the world of HMO’s; I really don’t know.
This is not to belittle the importance of HMO’s as members of our medical care delivery system. I interned at an HMO and found the medical care to be extremely good.
What I do know is that a prospective patient must ask themselves before committing to have procedures done by an organization whose focus and experience is not in the realm of cosmetic surgery, how well trained and experienced their surgeons are. If they are in fact dedicated to doing cosmetic surgery, why are they working at an HMO, whose mission is treating illness not beautification.
It took seven hours of work to repair the inadequacies and complications of the surgery done by the HMO surgeons. Luckily, the end result is quite excellent and the patient is ecstatic.
As the patient said to me, “I really don’t know why I had these procedures done at an HMO. I certainly should have known better!”
Amen.
Topics: Cosmetic Plastic Surgery, Cosmetic Surgery | No Comments »