Fads & Gimmicks of Plastic Surgery

Avoiding Surgical Fads Dr. Teitelbaum's Approach

There was a day when patients asked their plastic surgeon what the best way was to improve something that bothered them. Today, many patients seek a plastic surgeon offering a procedure they read about in a magazine.

Medical device manufacturers spend millions of dollars on direct-to-consumer marketing. They come up with enticing names for their products, such as "laser liposuction", and often make audacious claims that have not been proven. The media considers these stories newsworthy because they are appealing to the public.

The net effect of this cycle is the creation of surgical fads. Patient requests for these gimmicks lead some physicians to offer them, even when they offer no real advantage. Sometimes they can be ineffective and even unsafe.

From the "thread lift" craze to the "laser liposuction" craze, procedures have come and gone like fashion trends. Dr. Teitelbaum is not lured by fads; he offers patients new technologies that have been shown to be safe and effective, and is able to deliver the results that patients are expecting. He conducts clinical trials of new devices and drugs, so he understands the proper process of vetting technologies.