Doctors and beauty machines; which is more important?

Posted on November 23, 2012 by

George Commons, MD

Article by George Commons, MD
Palo Alto Plastic Surgeon

I find it interesting to find so many questions about which liposuction assist technology is better or worse asked on this site. The technology used is such an unimportant question. It should be far down your list, if on the list at all. What you are looking for is a smart surgeon. Great surgeons can get great results with any technology or with no technology assist at all. Remember that with any technology assist, the workhorse is always small cannula tumescent liposuction and 80% of all liposuction procedures is small cannula work and not technology. Worldwide 90% of all liposuction is small cannula tumescent technique with many beautiful results and no technology assist at all. What you should be hunting for is a great surgeon. Yet, I see the many questions about which technology and so forth is best. This is a result of massive marketing by the companies that make the machines. The companies spend millions to attract doctors to buy the machines and the technology companies advertise for patients to have the procedure. So finally the doctor buys the machine, but in many cases the machine is insignificant, for what the doctor really buys (and doctors know this very well) is a massive patient marketing and referral system. So the companies spend millions advertising to doctors and even more to patients, the doctors pay as much as $400,000.00 for these machines, and get possibly a $15,000 machine and a $385,000.00 patient marketing system formulated by the technology company. And then on top of this the doctors often spend even more dollars marketing the new miracle machine they just purchased. (Remember every month the doctor must pay $6000 to $8000 lease payments for the machine). And the patients pays for 100% of this nonsense. The ads announce with fanfare, come to our office and meet our new miracle technology trinket. Our machine will do your liposuction in just a few pain free minutes minutes and make you a couple of cups of coffee during your procedure etc etc..absurd. Anyway you get the idea. Its all a bunch of hype. The machines work a little but no doctor needs any machine of high technology to do a great liposuction. These machines are most often bought for their marketing value and the marketing obviously works and that is why there are SO MANY QUESTIONS on this web site about which technology is better. The advertisers are getting to you. Don’t fall for hype and slick marketing. Just say no and do your own thinking. Do you really want technology companies and slick marketing to do you thought formation. Think. Please think.

So I hope I have at least seeded your brain with the idea that it is a great doctor that counts and not some silly machine that is not needed for great results. Great doctors get great results with any technology assist and with no technology assist at all. How do you find a great doctor? First understand liposuction is a surgical procedure and for surgical procedures you must go to a surgeon. A surgeon is a person that has gone through 8 to 10 years of intense surgical training at Stanford or UCSF or similar fine institutions, passed a surgical board, and becomes a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. This is the first question to ask any doctor. Are you a fully trained surgeon, certified as a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. This doctor can then put FACS after his or her name. If the doctor is not FACS, go elsewhere. Your search is for a fully trained surgeon that is great and skilled and a FACS Fellow. Do not EVER have surgery by a non surgeon. Do not be bamboozled. Get the answer….is the doctor FACS. I see so much awful surgery done on poor patients by non surgeons often for very high fees. Use you head. Use commons sense. Question number 2 is ask the doctor that in addition to FACS, is he or she certified as a fully trained surgeon by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. This question is so very vital. You want a surgeon with FACS, but not just any surgeon, you want a Plastic Surgeon correct? Of course. So now you have the big two questions, but there is a third and last which will start you on you safe journey. I am not giving you ten questions, but just three. The third question is to ask and obtain an absolute written guarantee that the operation you are having at the doctors surgery center, he or she can also do in a hospital. Doctor, do you have privileges to admit and do my surgery at a local major JCHS Hospital. Hospital peer reviews doctors and this almost guarantees a doctor is up to snuff. Besides if the doctor has no hospital admitting privileges, where is the doctor going to admit you if you have a complication? Those 3 question will get you on a safe path. There are other questions and I will discuss them later, but these three are the beginning of a safe journey. Doctor…….are you FACS, are you boarded by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, and doctor do you have major hospital admitting and operating privileges? Ask these question and demand answers. Pick 3 doctors that meet these criteria and schedule consults. The best doctors often do not charge for consults. The best doctors do their own consultations. The best doctors do not use a marketing person to do their consultations. Be a smart consumer. Do not be a victim of endless slick marketing. Call the American Society of Plastic Surgery or go through the internet…(www.surgery.org)…. and get the names of 3 doctors in your area. If you don’t like them, get 3 more. This takes your time and your work. Don’t fail yourself. Your surgical results and your very life are at stake. More to follow about other questions, about artistry, and about safety in future discussions. My Best, Dr C

Successfully Picking the Best Plastic Surgeon

Posted on November 9, 2012 by

Successfully Picking the Best Plastic Surgeon
Inbox

There are many fine plastic surgeons. Picking the best means the best for you in your local area. The following are a very short list of questions that should connect you with the best plastic surgeon for you. It is a very short list so remembering it is easy.

1. Doctor I am seeking a plastic surgeon and I want to know if you have received your boards from the American Board of Plastic Surgery? (Means 10 years of surgical training after medical school and PASSING the ABPS Board Exams.)

2. Doctor are you a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. ( Means the College has recognized the Board as an authentic surgical Board recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialists.

3. Doctor, do you have surgical privileges to do the operation I want at a local major hospital? ( Even if the surgery is done at a doctors office facility, the doctor must have privileges to do the same operation at a major hospital and admit you there if there are problems. Many do not have this)

4. Doctor, is your operating facility certified by a recognized certification organization and please give me a copy of that certification to study and review? ( Many have no certification whatsoever and some have papers from non recognized certification facilities.)

5. Doctor, do you have an MD anesthesiologist at each surgery 100% of the time? ( You safety and very life may depend on this one.)

ONCE THE FIRST 5 QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED, HERE ARE A FEW MORE QUESTIONS TO GET ANSWERED.

Ten Credentials Your Plastic Surgeon Must Possess

1. Must be certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
2. Must be a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. FACS
3. Must have surgical privileges and admitting privileges at a major JCHS Hospital to do the surgery you are seeking.
4. Must have official and proven certification for any operating facility in the office.
5. Must have an MD anesthesiologist at 100% of surgical cases.
6. Must be a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery.
7. Must be a member of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.
8. Must have a license to practice medicine in the state of California.
9. Must have Registered Surgical Nurses at all operations and in the Recovery Room.
10. Must have Licensed Surgical Technicians at 100 % of cases.

Artistry and Safety; The Ultimate Pillars of Successful Plastic Surgery

Posted on November 7, 2012 by

Plastic Surgery is a word claimed by many doctors with little or no training. The true artists and guardians of safe and beautiful plastic surgery are those relatively few experts with board certification from the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Once boarded these fine surgeons who lead the world in excellence, then are permitted to join the American College of Surgeons and become Fellows of the American College of Surgeons. These TWO QUALIFICATIONS are your best questions to ask to seek and fine the best artistic surgeons with the safest operating facilities and track record. The true artists of plastic surgery then join the American Society of Plastic Surgery and the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. These surgeons were selected for and completed 10 years or more of residency programs at major universities such as Stanford, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard. These doctors were selected by these major universities for their integrity, artistic talent, and absolute consideration for the safety of the patient. Sometimes you are given a long list of questions to ask doctors you interview. Forget all those question at the onset of your hunt for an excellent and real plastic surgeon. Just ask two questions. Ask the doctor…..ARE YOU CERTIFIED BY THE AMERICAN BOARD OF PLASTIC SURGERY…….AND ARE YOU A FELLOW OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SURGEONS…FACS AFTER THE NAME? If the answer is no or evasive leave and look up another doctor. The best way to get a list of doctors certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery is to call the American Society of Plastic Surgery and get a list for your town. You do not need to travel a long distance. A doctor certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery is within 50 miles of all 350,000,000 million Americans. Make sure you see the doctor’s certificate of board completion. The words must read and read exactly American Board of Plastic Surgery. Period.

So what is artistry. Artistry in plastic surgery is both a native talent and a talent developed over the years by doing many thousands of cases. No matter how capable the surgeon, there must be a native artistic ability to know what looks good and what does not. What will look best for each patient. This is obtained by study, common sense, deep caring, and of course a fundamental artistic eye. Artistry is something a surgeon takes great pride in. The speed of a surgery is often somewhat irrelevant, but the perfection in detail is mandatory.

What about safety? It is beyond my imagination why any doctor would want to go through 8 years of college and medical school, 10 years of brutal training, and many board exams and then jeopardize it all by doing stupid, unsafe practices. . Really stupid right. You bet, but it happens. The American Society of Plastic Surgery mandates that its members practice in a safe manner. Operating Facilities must be appropriately certified and not by some fly by night organization. The fact is that there are many non certified and untrained doctors out there who are falsely claiming to be plastic surgeons and are in it for THE MONEY….PERIOD. As a result many patients suffer and some die. Study your neighborhood. Do not fall victim to absurd claims when the truth is the doctor has no plastic surgery training or skills whatsoever. Get 3 to 5 consults with real plastic surgeons as I have suggested and outlined. Good plastic surgeons generally do not charge for consultations and they do the consults themselves and give each patient a full hour or MORE. Forever BEWARE of the old ancient SUCKER game of prices that are just too low to be true. Low price medical facilities usually compromise safety and quality and often cause havoc. Period.

Seek and fine a ABPS – FACS surgeon with great credentials as I listed, great artistry, and great concern for your welfare and safety. Don’t be a dumb sucker for a bargain that may ruin your result and even cause your death. Seek quality. Seek safety. Seek and obtain artistry. All are readily available with ABPS – FACS Surgeons. My Best …Dr C

Ten Credentials Your Plastic Surgeon Must Possess

Posted on November 6, 2012 by

Dangerous, illegal, and cheap botox.

Posted on October 14, 2012 by

PATIENT QUESTION AFTER RECEIVING BOTOX IN NEW YORK STATE ( and yes, it could and does occur in California)
I have been getting Botox done for 7 years and no problems, other than some mild occasional bruising. I had a treatment yesterday on my frown lines, forehead and crows feet. All up I received 65 units, which is more than I usually get and it was extra sting when she was injecting. ( I have been to her before) hrs later I had hive like swelling around my eyes and forehead, it is sore. I went to my GP this morning and was told it is an allergic reaction, my injector said she hasn’t seen it before?

ILLEGAL, DANGEROUS, AND CHEAP BOTOX

You had Botox and then you had a red and painful reaction. In the past this never happened with Botox. Are you sure you had real Allergen Botox or did you receive illegal, cheap and dangerous Botox imported from a foreign country? You will need to talk to the injector and receive assurance and proof of authentic Botox being used. Beware! Some facilities use two types of Botox…….95% illegal BOTOX and the 5% Allergen Botox in case someone asks. Ask if they use only Allergen Botox. Ask for proof of volume of true Allergen Botox purchased. Push hard!

Use of bad and illegal drugs is a very large problem in the US. We recently have seen the disaster resulting from bad steroids and fungal infections. Could the same thing happen with Botox? Absolutely. Bad, dangerous, illegal, and cheap botox is no bargain. One can become very ill or even die. Botox is being injected into you body. A needle is stuck into you and something is squirted in to put it in simple terms. Can a tiny bit harm or kill you? Absolutely! Beware of prices that are too good to be true. There is always the OTHER PART OF THE STORY.

In conclusion you may have had an allergic reaction. Then again you were never allergic to Botox before. Did you just become allergic to botox or were you given CHEAP, DANGEROUS, AND ILLEGAL BOTOX? You need to find the answer to this question. Your family doctor will help with this or at least should HELP YOU.

In conclusion, did you simply have a very unusual allergic reaction to Allergen Botox or were you given illegal, cheap, and extremely dangerous botox in what adds up to a wanton disregard for your life, health, and welfare? That is the question.

Go only to doctors that are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and who are Fellows of the American College of Surgeons. These doctors always put the welfare and life of the patient first.

My Best, Dr C

Web reference: http://www.gcommonsmdplasticsurgery.com

Weak neck and chin after liposuction? What next?

Posted on September 30, 2012 by

+1
Weak neckline after liposuction. What next?

After having had liposuction of the sub mental area, some patients feel a desire for a still stronger jawline. The best and simplest steps for you center around a surgical neck lift. A stronger jawline can be attained by removing additional fat just at the mandibular border via a small incision behind the ear lobe. Next a little larger two inch incision around your ear will allow even better exposure, and especially when combined with a small incision under your chin. This operation is basically the neck component of the facelift, and if limited to the neck is of course called a necklift. The surgeon lifts the skin off your neck ( very safe and classic maneuver). The exposure gained then allow the surgeon to release muscles under your chin that cause blunting of your neck. (Release from a low hyoid cartilage). The next step is reduction of your sub mandibular gland, an easy step for a master surgeon. The platysmal muscles of your neck are also transected under your chin and a platysmal corset is constructed adding great definition to your neck. At this point a study is made to see if a chin implant is needed. In male patients the use of a chin implant is very often a pleasing and easy choice. The male chin looks all the more masculine when it is somewhat larger. So the last step is to see if there is any skin that needs to be removed from the neck. This is done, if needed, behind the ear. Usually very little skin is removed. As as been shown by Dr Timothy Marten in San Francisco, it is the under structure that is critical and not skin removal. A very handsome neck will be the result. Please remember not to be fooled by silly technology claims in liposuction. Liposuction is liposuction. Great results are obtained by great surgeons and not by meaningless differences in one technology versus another. A great surgeon can get great results with any technology or just with small cannulas. Untrained surgeons will not get great results with any technology despite absurd claims. Research carefully. Choose a surgeon that is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeon and recognized as a true surgeon. Always look for the FACS at the end of the doctors name. Surgeons boarded by the American Board of Plastic Surgery are always Fellows of the American College of Surgeon. FACS Research carefully. Make surge the operating facility is certified and safe. Make sure the doctor you choose has privileges to do the same liposuction procedure at a major local hospital. This means the doctor is subject to peer review at the major hospital. Make sure your doctor, in addition, has admitting privilege for liposuction patients at a local major hospital. Then you will be safe and likely happy. Do your homework carefully. Your results and life depend upon it! My Best, Dr C

Web reference: http://www.gcommonsmdplasticsurgery.com

Is your breast augmentation doctor a safe surgeon?

Posted on July 26, 2012 by

To be a safe breast augmentation surgeon you proposed doctor must possess the following.

1. Must be certified by a recognized surgical board such as the American Board of Plastic Surgery or the American Board of Surgery. The surgical board must be a board recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialists. The residency program leading to board certification must be also recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialists and also by he American College of Surgeons. Remember family doctors and psychiatrists and dermatologists are board certified but not by a surgical board recognized by the American College of Surgeons. Do you want your breast augmentation done by a psychiatrist, a family doctor, or a dermatologists?
2. Is your breast doctor a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons?
3. Does your breast doctor have privileges at a major local hospital to do the same procedure. (breast augmentation)
4. Does your proposed breast augmentation doctor operate in an accredited facility and what agency does the accreditation. Check out the proposed accrediting agency with your family doctor or with another ABPS consultant.
5. Does you breast augmentation surgeon always have an MD anesthesiologist in attendance?
6. Does your proposed breast augmentation doctor always have RNs and licensed surgical technicians at your surgery.

All of the above must check out with a YES answer. If they do not get a new doctor. You may be in danger!
My Best Dr C

Your Breast Surgeon may have no surgical boards or hospital privileges.

Posted on July 26, 2012 by

Your surgeon may have no plastic surgery training or worse yet may be not a surgeon of any type at all warns Dr A Youn and Dr G Commons (Palo Alto Plastic Surgeon)
George Commons

8:17 PM (0 minutes ago)

to post
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PLEASE SEE BELOW DR YOUN’S SUPERB ARTICLE AND THE DANGERS HE BRINGS TO THE FRONT .BE CAUTIOUS! MANY DOCTORS IN CALIFORNIA CALL THEMSELVES PLASTIC SURGEONS AND HAVE NO PLASTIC SURGERY TRAINING WHATSOEVER. WORSE YET, THEY MAY BE PSYCHIATRISTS OR FAMILY DOCTORS TRYING TO MAKE SOME EXTRA SPENDING MONEY AND POSSESS ZERO SURGERY TRAINING WHATSOEVER. IS IT LEGAL. YES, CALIFORNIA ALLOWS IT AND THE MEDICAL BOARD OF CALIFORNIA DOES ZERO TO STOP. THE MEDICAL BOARD OF CALIFORNIA FEARS LITIGATIO FOR RESTRAINT OF TRADE. YES ….TRADE IS THE WORD……IT IS ALL ABOUT GETTING YOUR MONEY. MANY SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA WOMEN HAVE SURGERY, INCLUDING BREAST AUGMENTATIONS AND UPLIFTS BY DOCTORS WITH NO SURGERY TRAINING, NO SURGERY BOARDS, AND ABSOLUTELY NO RESIDENCY TRAINING IN ANY SURGICAL SPECIALTY. THEY ARE FORBIDDEN TO PUT FACS AFTER THEIR NAMES
BECAUSE THEY HAVE DONE NO APPROVED TRAINING IN ANY SURGICAL RESIDENCY APPROVE BY THE NATIONAL BOARD OF MEDICAL SPECIALISTS. THEY CANNOT JOIN THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SURGEONS. THE CANNOT OPERATE IN HOSPITAL BECAUSE HOSPITAL REQUIRE BOARDS AND TRAINING. HOSPITAL FEAR THESE DOCTORS AND THEIR MISDEEDS. YET ALL THIS IS LEGAL IN CALIFORNIA AND S NOT APPROACHED BY THE MEDICAL BOARD OF CALIFORNIA. THE MEDICAL BOARD OF CALIFORNIA FEARS LITIGATION. CALL THE MEDICAL BOARD OF CALIFORNIA TODAY. CALL YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES.

WHAT TO AVOID. AVOID VERY LOW FEE DOCTORS WHICH ARE THE HALLMARK OF SURGEONS WITH NO SURGICAL BOARDS, NO HOSPITAL PRIVILEGES, NON CERTIFIED OPERATING FACILITIES , AND HAVE NO ANESTHESIOLOGISTS IN ATTENDANCE. WHY NO ANESTHESIOLOGISTS? ANESTHESIOLOGISTS, LIKE HOSPITALS FEAR THESE DOCTORS AND WILL NOT WORK WITH THEM.

BE CAREFUL. YOUR LIFE AND WELL BEING DEPEND ON YOUR NOT BEING PLAIN DUMB. DON’T BE TEMPTED BY SLICK AND CHEAP. BELIEVE ME YOU WILL PAY AND PAY IN THE END. YOU WILL BE FAR BETTER OFF NEVER HAVING HAD ANSURGERY AT ALL THAN HAVING A MESS YOU LIVE WITH (OR DO NOT LIVE WITH) FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.

MY BEST, DR G COMMONS

Plastic surgery: ‘Wild West’ of medicine
By Dr. Anthony Youn, Special to CNN
updated 7:28 AM EDT, Wed July 25, 2012
Hospitals typically vet their surgeons and allow them to practice only within their field of training and expertise.
Hospitals typically vet their surgeons and allow them to practice only within their field of training and expertise.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Medical boards don’t restrict doctors from performing surgeries out of their specialty
Many physicians are opening plastic surgery centers on the weekends to make money
Find a plastic surgeon who is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery

Editor’s note: Dr. Anthony Youn is a plastic surgeon in metro Detroit. He is the author of “In Stitches,” a humorous memoir about growing up Asian-American and becoming a doctor.

(CNN) — Martha* had decided to undergo a breast augmentation. She researched doctors and found one she thought was well-qualified; ads in magazines touted him as board-certified and a top plastic surgeon in the area.

Martha met with him for a consultation and underwent the procedure in his office several weeks later. But at home that night, she discovered a shocking sight:

Her breast implants were lodged in her armpits.

The next morning, she rushed back to her doctor’s office. He inspected her chest and, with a quizzical look on his face, declared, “I have never seen this before.”

Martha decided to seek another opinion. A new surgeon explained that the previous physician had botched the procedure. She would need extensive surgery to correct it.
Dr. Anthony Youn
Dr. Anthony Youn

As if this weren’t bad enough, he also informed her that her doctor wasn’t what he claimed to be. Sure, he was board-certified — just not in plastic surgery.

Her “plastic surgeon” was actually an eye doctor.

Stories like Martha’s are becoming more and more common across the United States. Plastic surgery has become the Wild West of medicine, with an increasing number of doctors performing invasive cosmetic procedures without proper training or credentials.
Pfeiffer not opposed to plastic surgery
Teachers get free plastic surgery

In my metro Detroit practice alone, I’ve been horrified by dozens of botched jobs. One of my patients, a beautiful 25-year-old woman, was left with shark bite-sized divots all over her thighs and stomach after undergoing laser liposuction by a family medicine doctor.

A local ENT (ear nose and throat) physician took $12,000 from a young hairdresser for two unnecessary operations: insertion of watermelon-sized breast implants and liposuction to her abdomen. The implants were eventually removed, and the liposuction left her tummy a rippled, lumpy mess.

Why does this happen?

Although state medical boards regulate who can obtain a license to practice medicine, they don’t restrict doctors from performing procedures outside of their training or specialty. Once they are licensed, there is no law against doctors performing any medical procedure they want to, as long as the patient consents to it.

As a board-certified plastic surgeon, I can legally perform a knee replacement or hysterectomy, procedures for which I am completely unqualified. This lack of regulation has allowed an increasing number of doctors of all types — including gynecologists, general surgeons and even emergency medicine physicians — to perform tummy tucks, liposuction, facelifts and breast enhancement.

These procedures are almost never performed in real hospitals. Hospitals typically vet their surgeons and allow them to practice only within their field of training and expertise. Doctors get around this by performing cosmetic procedures in their own in-office operating rooms or at ambulatory surgery centers, where the credentialing requirements may not be as strict.

So why do so many doctors reject their chosen specialty and remake themselves as plastic surgeons?

One word: money.

Declining physician reimbursement has resulted in more physicians looking for ways to enhance their income. And plastic surgery is one of the only fields of medicine that is shielded from insurance companies.

So an increasing number of doctors are closing their traditional medical practices and opening cosmetic surgery centers. These physicians learn the basics of plastic surgery through weekend courses, shadowing other doctors and even online webinars. This influx of poorly trained cosmetic surgeons has caused Martha’s story to become just one of many.

If you are considering having plastic surgery, I implore you: Do your homework. Find a plastic surgeon who is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, the only plastic surgery board that is recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties.

For facial plastic surgery, a doctor certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery is considered an equivalent in all states.

I consider it a privilege that my patients put their lives and bodies in my hands. All surgeons should. In return, we have a moral obligation to only perform procedures that we are fully qualified to do.

No matter how well it pays.

MDs that are not certified surgeons doing San Francisco Bay Area Breast Surgery

Posted on July 23, 2012 by

Many breast surgeries in the San Francisco Bay area are done by MDs that are untrained surgeons. Surgical training requires a full residency in general and plastic surgery of 7 to 10 years. Unfortunately in California, MDs that are general practioners, family doctors and dermatologists are doing breast surgery. The breast surgery done by these untrained surgeons includes breast reductions, breast uplifts, breast reconstruction, and breast augmentation. Yes, your breast surgery may have been done by an untrained surgeon in California. Is this legal? Yes!. California licsenes MDs as physicians and surgeons. Many untrained doctors decide they can make more money doing your breast surgery than seeing patients for insurance reimbursements. They may have a slick approach and convince patients they are trained surgeons. A real plastic surgeon trained to do breast surgery has certification from the American Board of Plastic Surgery and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Always look for the FACS. If they is no FACS you are dealing with a uncertified surgeon. If no FACS you are dealing with an MD that self proclaimed himself or herself a surgeon in the middle of a moonlit night. Yes, a fake. These untrained and uncertified surgeons. California knows very well about these people.
Some often claim they had some vague surgical fellowship that disappears when traced. A weekend course in a lecture hall does not make a surgeon. Some of these non FACS MDs calling themselves surgeons refer to their medical school surgery rotation as their training. These fake surgeons that are not FACS often fly from state to state doing surgery and poor surgery at that. It takes years to bring them to a stop. The California Medical Board is afraid to act because they may get sued. The California Medical Board turns its head until a death or disaster occurs an thentakes years to do anything. What can you do. Dont go to these untrained MDs. How to identify them then? Its easy. First and formost they are not FACS members. Second they have no recognized board training. They are almost always on the low end of the price scale. Beware what seems like a bargain in surgery. You may end up dead. They are elusive when you ask about credentials. They have uncertified operating facilities. They do not have MD anesthesiologists at their uncertified facilities. Anesthesiologists will not risk working for these people. They have no privileges to do the operations they advertise in a real certified JCHS Hospital. The hoplitals in the San Francisco Bay Area will not allow these untrained non FACS MDs to operate in the hospital operating rooms. Why. Because they are not real surgeons with the FACS and they are dangerous. They may injure and kill perople. Always choose a real FACS surgeon that is certified by the ABPS for your breast surgery. Think!. Probe. Dont fall for absurd low price deals. Extreme low prices equate to extreme low quality and danger. Look for the FACS and the ABPS. Make a doctor proove a major hospital allows him or her to operate and do breast surgery Call the hospital in the doctor’s office and confirm this on your cellphone. If this cant be done, RUN. My Best, DR C

Palo Alto Plastic Surgery and George Commons, MD

Posted on July 23, 2012 by

Dr George Commons has practiced in Palo Alto at 1515 El Camino Real since 1991. In addition Dr Commons is a member of the teaching faculty at Stanford University Medical School. Plastic Surgery means many different things to different people. Dr Commons has concentrated on Facelift and Liposuction surgery for years. In addition many aspects of breast surgery and eyelid surgery have been improved by Dr Commons work. Many types of plastic surgery are actually covered by health insurance programs. Reasonable health insurance programs will cover plastic surgery to correct massive breast reductions, eyelid and forehead droop causing visual obstruction, breast implant pain problems, nasal breathing problems, prominent ears, and other deformities. If you have such problems you should seek the advice of a real plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and a member Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. The letter of designation are ABPS and FACS. Did you know that by California law anyone with an MD degree can call themselves a plastic surgeon. In California MDs with no surgery training whatsoever can designate themselves as plastic surgeons. Some MDs say they are board certified but never list which board. Sometimes non recognized board names are used or totally non surgery related boards are used for surgery credentials. Would you like to have a psychiatrist doing your breast reduction. Believe me it happens. Let the Medical Board of California know what you think of this. If you do not act the Medical Board of California certainly will not either. Make California medical practice safer. Let the medical Board and your elected official know of the fraud of non surgical MDs doing your breast surgery. Thanks, Dr C