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Plastic Surgery is the Latest Accessory for Job Seekers

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I thought that it was interesting that MSNBC was reporting that some surgeons and patients are now citing increased interest in surgery among people wanting to look younger and “fresher” for the ever-competitive job market.  This is a trend that I too am seeing in my office.

• The American Society of Plastic Surgeons released a recent survey showing that American women were looking at cosmetic surgery to get a competitive edge in the workplace.
• About 13 percent of the 756 women surveyed, between the ages of 18 and 64, say they would consider having a cosmetic medical procedure to make them more confident and more competitive in the job market.
• About 3 percent said they already had a cosmetic procedure to increase their perceived value in the workplace, and 73 percent said they believed that appearance and youthful looks play a part in getting hired, a promotion, or getting new clients, particularly in these challenging economic times.

You can read the article in its entirety at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30112465/

Copyright 2009 Reuters.

Dr. Carolyn Chang, San Francisco Plastic Surgeon


Seeking a Safer Surgery: States Crack Down on Doctors Who Perform Unregulated Outpatient Procedures

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It disturbs and saddens me each time that I hear of a bad outcome in relation to an elective cosmetic surgery.  Luckily, these cases are few and far between, and in many instances seem to be the result of insufficient safety standards or post-operative medical monitoring.  I was pleased, then, to read that The Wall Street Journal recently published a report discussing recent crackdowns by states across the country on office-based outpatient surgery. I hope that by increasing awareness of the problem and by enforcing higher safety standards, these unfortunate potentially preventable outcomes will be a thing of the past.

According to the report, 17 percent of outpatient surgeries occur in physician offices, many of which are not accredited.  New York and California, among other states, now requires accreditation of all physician offices that perform surgery requiring moderate or deep sedation, and violators will face stiff penalties from the state medical board.

In states without regulation, physicians can perform surgery in their offices as long as they have a medical license, although some do voluntarily undergo accreditation.

According to the report, outpatient surgeries account for 65 percent of all surgeries in the country, and the number of outpatient surgeries has increased 20 percent in the last 20 years. Of these, 45 percent are performed at hospital outpatient departments and 38 percent occur at Ambulatory Surgery Centers, both of which are generally considered to be safe.

Before undergoing any procedure, it is important to adopt the “buyer beware” stance in order to ensure that you will be in the safest environment possible.  Elective cosmetic surgery should be a positive and rewarding experience.

Read the full article in the The Wall Street Journal at:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203946904574300971306299860.html

Dr. Carolyn Chang, San Francisco Plastic Surgeon