Can a general surgeon do plastic surgery?

[Downstatedoc]

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lets say you were to complete a general surgery residency....could u just open an office and start practicing plastics even without a fellowship, or is this illegal? do people do it? How hard is getting the fellowship?

thanks.

 

[VoiceofReason]

It should be illegal but it's not.

 

[-Goose-]

the biggest problem would be getting admitting/operating priviledges without being BE/BC in PRS. no hospital in their right mind would let you do this.

Say you operate at your own surgi-center (which cost a billion dollars to open), even then, how are you going to get patients? The type of patient who will be looking to get these procedures done (wealthy) are going to do their research and figure out that you're a quack.

even then, say you convince some blind, deaf, and dumb person to let you do their breast augmentation. a jury is going to have absolutely zero sympathy for you when she sues because of whatever complications you have inevitably caused.

 

[-Goose-]

How hard is getting the fellowship?

Only a 55% match rate. And I believe this is higher than previous years.

http://www.sfmatch.org/residency/plastic_surgery/about_match/match_report.pdf

 

[TheMightyAngus]

Only a 55% match rate. And I believe this is higher than previous years.

http://www.sfmatch.org/residency/plastic_surgery/about_match/match_report.pdf

Your link shows that the number of plastics spots has progressively decreased by >50%. 190 spots in 1994, 94 spots in 2007. WTF??

 

[DoctorMunchkin]

You don't even have to complete a surgery resdiency. As long as you have a medical license, you can do whatever you want. The license says you can practice medicine, it does not restrict you to any certain field. Now, that doesn't mean you can get hospital privleges, but you can work in your own surgery center.

I know of an internal medicine doctor, who did plastic surgery out of a day spa. Her husband (an EM physician) did her anesthesia. She went to a couple of courses to learn how to do liposuction and such and came back to do plastic surgery. She had a couple of complications that ended up in the hospital from acute blood loss anemia. Of course, she had no hospital privileges so the trauma service ended up with the patient. All of her assests were in someone else's name, or she had her company set up as an LLC, so I don't think she actually has lost any money secondary to law suits.

She does currently have her license suspended for narcotics abuse. I think she was prescribing Percocets to her patients, but she was getting the script. So, yes she is no longer practicing, no it is not as a result of her practicing surgery outside of the realm of her training.

 

[-Goose-]

Your link shows that the number of plastics spots has progressively decreased by >50%. 190 spots in 1994, 94 spots in 2007. WTF??

Hmmm. I dunno. I speculate that there has been an increase in the number of integrated programs (i.e. fellowships switching to the integrated/combined format). Or maybe some have switched from the SF match?


Hopefully someone with more knowledge on the subject will chime in (DrOliver, Moravian).

 

[-Goose-]

You don't even have to complete a surgery resdiency. As long as you have a medical license, you can do whatever you want. The license says you can practice medicine, it does not restrict you to any certain field. Now, that doesn't mean you can get hospital privleges, but you can work in your own surgery center.

I know of an internal medicine doctor, who did plastic surgery out of a day spa. Her husband (an EM physician) did her anesthesia. She went to a couple of courses to learn how to do liposuction and such and came back to do plastic surgery. She had a couple of complications that ended up in the hospital from acute blood loss anemia. Of course, she had no hospital privileges so the trauma service ended up with the patient. All of her assests were in someone else's name, or she had her company set up as an LLC, so I don't think she actually has lost any money secondary to law suits.

She does currently have her license suspended for narcotics abuse. I think she was prescribing Percocets to her patients, but she was getting the script. So, yes she is no longer practicing, no it is not as a result of her practicing surgery outside of the realm of her training.

Good grief.

 

[Pir8DeacDoc]

I agree with your thoughts about the decline of fellowship spots. Likely lot more integrated programs and many fewer true fellowship programs.

 

[Pir8DeacDoc]

A medicine doc doing lipo while the patient is anesthetized by an ED doc. WOW!

What ***** would pay money for that? Further, I can see how some people are borderline qualified for procedures that they do, but this goes beyond ridiculous. Someone with NO formal surgical training and someone who might throw a little fentanyl/versed to someone while they fix a shoulder dislocation giving anesthesia....These two bozos should be ashamed of themselves.

"First do no harm", I guess they missed that day in med school.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

My brother does rural medicine, and the general surgeon with his practice (only surgeon in town) does breast jobs and probably some other stuff, too. I believe he opened his own surgery center. Anyway, I don't know who in the world would go there for that. I guess it's buyer beware.

Editing to add that he also does liposuction. :eek The silly thing is that they're only 30 minutes away from a big city with real plastic surgeons, so why not go there?

 

[medhacker]

My brother does rural medicine, and the general surgeon with his practice (only surgeon in town) does breast jobs and probably some other stuff, too. I believe he opened his own surgery center or something like that. Anyway, I don't know who in the world would go there for that. I guess it's buyer beware.

They get hundreds of clients, for most patients word of mouth and results are more important than all the board issues they don't really understand to begin with. So they get some good results and the word spreads = get patients. I am not promoting it, but saying how I've seen it happen.

They often also win patients over plastic surgeons with people skills and **price**.


To another poster, it doesn't cost billions to open your own surgi-center, not even millionS <-- emphasis on the capital S.

 

[Celiac Plexus]

Only a 55% match rate. And I believe this is higher than previous years.

http://www.sfmatch.org/residency/plastic_surgery/about_match/match_report.pdf

The match stat is actually 35% if you count all of the people who registered/applied and either did not get ranked, or did not receive interviews.

55% only counts the folks that were ranked by at least one program.

 

[-Goose-]

To another poster, it doesn't cost billions to open your own surgi-center, not even millionS <-- emphasis on the capital S.

I was obviously being facetious.

 

[-Goose-]

55% only counts the folks that were ranked by at least one program.

Brutal.


Is the trend heading towards more fellowships or away from fellowships? It seems like I've heard both.

 

[DoctorMunchkin]

A medicine doc doing lipo while the patient is anesthetized by an ED doc. WOW!

What ***** would pay money for that? Further, I can see how some people are borderline qualified for procedures that they do, but this goes beyond ridiculous. Someone with NO formal surgical training and someone who might throw a little fentanyl/versed to someone while they fix a shoulder dislocation giving anesthesia....These two bozos should be ashamed of themselves.

"First do no harm", I guess they missed that day in med school.

I am not even lying. I couldn't make that up if I tried. Actually was in the local paper and I got all the background stuff from other doctors in the community.

And I am in an area where we have a plastics residency and very well qualified PRS physicians. Advertising and price sways a lot of uneducated souls.

 

[DrDawg]

Most lay people also don't understand the difference between plastics, and cosmetic surgeons.

Isn't one of those guys on E!(or some other channel) not board certified?

 

[Blade28]

Isn't one of those guys on E!(or some other channel) not board certified?

Dr. 90210?

 

[DrDawg]

Not sure, I haven't seen any of those shows, but someone had said that one of them was not BC in plastics. Don't know if that is even true

 

[Jackofknives]

Dr. Ray? He s a general surgeon, took a followship in plastic surgery. he also calls himself trauma surgeon... the guy seems very... oily

 

[Winged Scapula]

Robert Rey is neither BC in General Surgery or Plastic Surgery. At this point, he may not even be Board Eligible anymore (at least for Gen Surg). He says he's been "too busy" to take the exam. So was the guy (Jan Adams) who operated on Kanye West's mother.

You could argue for someone in his (Rey's or Adam's) position its not necessary...ie, he's obviously not hurting for patients because of it. Then again, do porn stars that are looking for labiaplasty or anal bleaching care about BC, or just if their surgeon has nice highlights and an Armani suit?🙄

There have been posts here by users who have claimed to know him and they agree...oily would be a good descriptor (although I think "tool" was used on more than one occasion).

 

[Blade28]

Then again, do porn stars that are looking for labiaplasty or anal bleaching care about BC, or just if their surgeon has nice highlights and an Armani suit?🙄

"Anal bleaching"??? What? Who in the world wants (or needs) that???

I mean, labiaplasty I've heard of...but anal bleaching?!

 

[medhacker]

"Anal bleaching"??? What? Who in the world wants (or needs) that???

I mean, labiaplasty I've heard of...but anal bleaching?!

Yeah, it's really in and very unisex

 

[Winged Scapula]

"Anal bleaching"??? What? Who in the world wants (or needs) that???

I mean, labiaplasty I've heard of...but anal bleaching?!

Blade, Blade, Blade....where have you been? You gotta get out more!

As noted above, its very popular - both for heterosexual females and homosexual males. An episode of Dr. 90210 featured a porn start having it done. I guess some people want to be the same color ALL over. 😀

See: http://www.villagevoice.com/people/0528,taormino,65754,24.html

 

[Blade28]

Blade, Blade, Blade....where have you been? You gotta get out more!

As noted above, its very popular - both for heterosexual females and homosexual males. An episode of Dr. 90210 featured a porn start having it done. I guess some people want to be the same color ALL over. 😀

Ah. Yikes! 😱

I guess some people are vain all over. 🙂

BTW that's quite an explicit article. 🙂

 

[Winged Scapula]

Ah. Yikes! 😱

I guess some people are vain all over. 🙂

BTW that's quite an explicit article. 🙂

That's the Village Voice for ya...Sorry, figured you needed it in PLAIN English! 😉

For future readers: NSFW

 

[driedcaribou]

A medicine doc doing lipo while the patient is anesthetized by an ED doc. WOW!

What ***** would pay money for that?

The general public, and even the majority of government, has no idea how the field of medicine works.

They don't know how doctors specialize and/or who does what and how they train.

 

[Blade28]

That's the Village Voice for ya...Sorry, figured you needed it in PLAIN English! 😉

For future readers: NSFW

👍 👍

 

[MossPoh]

"Anal bleaching"??? What? Who in the world wants (or needs) that???

I mean, labiaplasty I've heard of...but anal bleaching?!

Obviously you just aren't as self conscious about the color of your anus as some. I suppose with the sale of blu ray and hddvd porn on the rise, you gotta make sure every part looks its best. *cough*

 

[Blade28]

Obviously you just aren't as self conscious about the color of your anus as some.

This is so crazy.

You'd think the last thing porn watchers are focusing on is the color of the anus! 😱

I just don't get it.

 

[RajMahal]

in my country, the color of the "anoos" is very important when you pick a prostitute, so you do not get stricken with plague of AIDS.

Let me tell you a few of my favorite Dr. Robert Rey quotes:

While examining a woman's breasts: "your left breast is bigger than the right, but that makes sense because the heart is on the left side..."

While boveying some breast tissue, "one slip of my hand, and this hot cautery tip could end up right in her lung!"

He claims to be "Harvard Trained" but he did plastics at UT memphis

Dr. Rey did four years of a general surgery residency at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, followed by a two year residency in plastic surgery at the University of Tennessee-Memphis Health Science Center. He subsequently undertook a one year aesthetic and breast reconstruction fellowship at the Harvard Medical School's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

According to the AMA his training is as follows:

The information contained in the AMA DoctorFinder report does NOT meet the primary source equivalency requirement as set forth in the credentialing standards of accreditation organizations such as the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) or the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).

Roberto M Rey Jr, MD

AMA members must adhere to the AMA's Principles of Medical Ethics Primary Specialty (Self Designated)(note): PLASTIC SURGERY

Gender: Male

Location: Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Office Phone: 310-205-3107

Medical School: TUFTS UNIV SCH OF MED, BOSTON MA 02111 Residency Training: UNIV OF TN COLL OF MED, PLASTIC SURGERY LA CO HARBOR UCLA MED CTR, GENERAL SURGERY STATEN ISLAND UNIV HOSP, GENERAL SURGERY MAYO GRAD SCH MED/MAYO FNDN, GENERAL SURGERY

My personal opinion: this guy is a total douche-nozzle, but obviously good at what he does, and not hurting for patients at all. He has a hot wife, a successful TV show, oodles of money, and loves his job and family. I guess that just makes me another one of the playa-haters.

 

[Dr. Dukes]

Obviously you just aren't as self conscious about the color of your anus as some. I suppose with the sale of blu ray and hddvd porn on the rise, you gotta make sure every part looks its best. *cough*

A couple of months ago there was a very funny article in the New York Times about exactly this. Apparently with HD/Blu Ray porn stars are now realizing they have all of these insignificant little blemishes on their nether regions that you couldn't see with "regular" porn but can now see in HD. A bunch of porn stars have had to get stuff dealt with or risk losing their careers...

 

[PeepshowJohnny]

He claims to be "Harvard Trained" but he did plastics at UT memphis

Yeah, this was really surprising to me. He busts this out every once in a while, but I believe he did an MPH or something at Harvard, but a couple times he's dropped bombs on his show like "My mentors at Harvard taught me to always put my patients safety first"

 

[RajMahal]

Yeah, this was really surprising to me. He busts this out every once in a while, but I believe he did an MPH or something at Harvard, but a couple times he's dropped bombs on his show like "My mentors at Harvard taught me to always put my patients safety first"

he did a year of aesthetics/cosmetics at BI-D, i guess.