Brand Name Surgeries Are Not a Guaranteed "Quick Fix"

Brand name surgical procedures are usually grouped into two categories; first are those that are legitimately assigned the name of the person who has popularized the technique, and the second are those that are created with the intention of marketing the procedure to the public. Named-branded procedures are legitimate situations and are often found in scientific literature, but not the public domain. However, market-branded names have become the popular way to sell cosmetic surgery procedures.

Plastic surgeon from Iowa, Dr. Al Aly, claims, “These named procedures are used by the marketing entity to popularize the technique so that patients ask for it whether it fits their situation or not. This is a problem that can be very dangerous. A procedure is only as good as the hands that perform it.”

The one-size-fits-all marketing approach to the public doesn’t acknowledge surgeon skill and individual patient needs. Past-president of the ASAPS,  Sherrell Aston MD, adds, “One does not have to be a plastic surgeon to know intuitively that one facelift technique will nt be appropriate for all individuals undergoing a facelift. The anatomy and and aging process vary significantly from person to person. The so-called minimally invasive procedures have gained popularity in all surgical specialties. For many procedures the work that is performed through the small incisions is rather extensive, and requires significant expertise on the part of the surgeon.”

Current president of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS),  Renaldo Saltz MD, believes, “The issue of untrained or inadequately trained practitioners, some of whom are not medical doctors, performing cosmetic plastic surgery is an extremely serious patient safety concern. For ultimate patient safety it is essential that the media and the general public be better educated about what constitutes appropriate training to perform operations such as facelifts, rhinoplasty, liposuction, abdominoplasty, breast surgery and cosmetic eyelid surgery.