Progressive and Transparent during the Coronavirus Pandemic

Humans are like cockroaches. No little virus is going to wipe out the human race! Not this time. As we continue our slow, inexorable recovery from the novel coronavirus, some significant perceptions have come to my observation. First, too much information can be very challenging to deal with. When our executive branch decided to present daily information to the public, I am certain it was done with the best of intentions; to decrease panic and inform the public about rapidly changing events. Both overtly sound like a great idea. Unfortunately, because information comes in at a very rapid rate, it was often contradictory to the previous day’s information, and so on and so forth. A loss of validity soon ensues as a result of apparent contradiction. “Were they wrong yesterday, or were the speakers deceiving us?”. When, in reality, the information that was received since yesterday's presentation made the information from yesterday no longer valid. This does not make the information received just the day before deceptive in its purpose or false in its presentation, it just turns out that yesterday we were wrong, today we are as right as we can be, but tomorrow,  we may be wrong again!        

One of the most enjoyable aspects of a career in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery is the ability to prove or disprove hypotheses based upon volumes of clinical evidence. Improved patient safety and satisfaction results from review and evaluation of the previous surgical cases performed. Often, research results in a change in direction; either a repid abandonment of past techniques or a progressive shift toward integration of recent technology. This does not make the “old” technique wrong. It simply has been replaced with newer information that has been proven to support a change in direction or recommendation. Internal permanent mesh was once the standard for bladder suspension. All patients were required to have internal heart monitors placed when entering the Intensive Care Unit. Massive weight loss patients desiring skin excess removal often took 6-8 hours to perform, almost universally placed on blood thinners and surgery performed almost exclusively in hospitals, with stays from 3-7 days. Today, at Cosmetic Surgery Affiliates, we routinely perform BodyLift surgery in 2 hours or less and all patients go home! Past methods of treatment have been (should be) abandoned, for safer and more efficient options of outpatient care without hospitalization or blood thinning medications. Improved safety and satisfaction has been proven by research of more than 160 patients in our facility in Oklahoma City!    

The Team at Cosmetic Surgery Affiliates take great pride in transforming lives; one body at a time, but also in leading the world toward improved safety and satisfaction through research and peer reviewed publication. Progress and transparency does not make the past wrong, it ensures the future is different.