Blog

The ASPS and ASAPS have responded to the proposed cosmetic surgery tax, calling it discriminatory, arbitrary, and ineffective.  Details of the bill are below:

”SEC. 5000B. IMPOSITION OF TAX ON ELECTIVE COSMETIC MEDICAL PROCEDURES.
”(a) IN GENERAL.-There is hereby imposed on any cosmetic surgery and medical procedure a tax equal to 5 percent of the amount paid for such procedure (determined without regard to this section), whether paid by insurance or otherwise.
”(b) COSMETIC SURGERY AND MEDICAL PROCEDURE.-For purposes of this section, the term ‘cosmetic surgery and medical procedure’ means any cosmetic surgery (as defined in section 213(d)(9)(B)) or other similar procedure which-
”(1) is performed by a licensed medical professional, and
”(2) is not necessary to ameliorate a deformity arising from, or directly related to, a congenital abnormality, a personal injury resulting from an accident or trauma, or disfiguring disease.

Because 86 percent of cosmetic surgeries are purchased by women, many of which are middle class working people, the society has argued that it would be discriminatory.

The bill also imposes the burden of making clear distinctions between procedures that are “medically necessary” and simply elective.  Who should be making these distinctions?  Should it be a tax auditor?  Dr. Jennifer Walden appeared on Fox news last night to discuss such problems.

In a way, it’s like a job interview; a plastic surgery consultation represents an opportunity to develop a professional relationship.  Likewise, there are better and worse ways to go about it.  Follow these 2 steps to ensure that your consultation is productive.

1. Prepare Yourself: have questions and know your general goals

The consultation offers the perfect opportunity to discuss specific information related to your procedure that can’t be easily found online.  Just bring a list of questions or topics that you think are really important.

Being prepared also means knowing what you want to achieve with plastic surgery.  Some patients know exactly what they want, while some are just curious about cosmetic surgery.  Both are fine, but it’s best to think about your general goals before the consultation.

2. Be open and communicate well

Good communication is crucial through our entire process.  Feel free to utilize whatever tools you think are necessary to help accomplish that; whether it is our before & after photos or some other visual aid you find appealing.

Also, don’t hide important information that may allow Dr. Dreyfuss or Dr. Gelman to serve you more effectively.  Information such as past medical history, past procedures, and your motivations to have surgery all fall into that category.

Dr. Gelman did my breast augmentation three months ago and my life has changed for the better in so many ways!

I’m a 36-year-old single mother of one teenage daughter and I waited 10 years before I finally made the decision to do something about my breasts. The truth is I was afraid of “going under the knife.” It wasn’t like I HAD to have surgery to be cured of an illness. I just wanted to have beautiful breasts and was worried that having surgery for something just because I wanted it would be tempting fate. The irony here is that I’m a model and it’s important for me to look my best. Yet, year after year I was staring down at a pair of breasts that looked like sagging, hanging bananas and not doing anything about it.

Research the procedure

This past summer, I went online and watched a breast augmentation video clip. Surfing the Web I found Dr. Gelman’s website. I talked to my parents, my daughter, and one of my close girlfriends. My daughter turned out to be my biggest supporter – that was great! She knew how unhappy I was with my breasts and wanted me to be happy about the way I look. That meant a lot to me. I know a number of women who’ve had cosmetic surgery – tummy tucks, liposuction, and breast reduction…and a few who have had mommy makeovers to remove sagging belly skin and excess fat and have their breasts reshaped so they looked like they did before kids. They were all glad they did it. When I saw how much better a couple of my friends looked after breast augmentations; that was my tipping point. I decided to go for it!

The Surgery Consultation

I had consultations with several doctors, but chose Dr. Gelman because I was treated so well by him and by his staff. I had checked around on cost, and their fee was reasonable. I also told him I was nervous about having anesthesia, but Dr. Gelman took the time to educate me and when I realized my concern was normal and that my safety was his number one goal too, I got past my fears. Laura, his patient coordinator, watched over me and gave me information and support beforehand, on the day of my surgery, and afterward during my recovery days. All the women in the office are so nice and are willing to answer my questions. I so appreciate that because I’m someone who is full of questions!

A Smooth Recovery

My recovery went pretty smoothly…I mean, two weeks later I was back on the job doing a photo shoot. I did have a feeling of heaviness in my breasts for 2 or 3 days after the surgery – like an elephant was on my chest [laughter] – and it took me a few days to move around without being constantly distracted by the new, larger breasts on my body! The most inconvenient part was sleeping on my back for a few weeks when I’m used to sleeping on my stomach. But these are minor complaints compared to how much better I look and feel about my body now. It was so worth it!

The Results of Breast Augmentation

I have more confidence, which is the big thing. For example, I wear bikini tops now that I have real cleavage to show off! I never would have done that before. More women stare at me than men and sometimes women aren’t as nice to me at first, like when I go shopping! Seriously, I have an outgoing, bubbly personality and it takes a little longer for women to warm up to me now. I didn’t expect that! In my community, I sometimes think that many African-American women I know don’t take good enough care of themselves – they’re usually too busy taking care of other people. But I work out and I like to be healthy and look good and I think women deserve this. If I could give advice, I’d tell any healthy woman who’s trying to decide if she should have cosmetic surgery so she can feel good about how she looks, “Go ahead and do it…don’t wait and put it off. If this is what you want, then go for it! I’m worth it and so are you.”

I’m 23 and single.  Dr. Gelman did my tummy tuck 4 months ago.  I thought about it for nearly 2 years because I had a lot of extra baggy skin in my abdominal area and I hated it.  I was heavy when I was younger and a few years ago I managed to lose 75 pounds and keep it off. That’s the good news.  The bad news is that the weight loss left me with loose sagging skin and I felt so self-conscious about it.  I had a 23 year old body and an old woman’s belly.  Not good!  I had to do something about it because I was so sick of worrying and thinking about it, scared of exposing that part of my body and always trying to cover up.

Researching the procedure

I went online almost every day and read what other women had to say about tummy tucks and what their experiences were like.  That’s how I found Dr. Gelman.  I looked at before-and-after pictures of women around my age and told myself, “I could look like this or like that if I get a tummy tuck.”  There’s no way exercise can tighten up stretched out skin and that got clear to me after I tried so hard and it didn’t work.

Making a Choice

I decided to go with Dr. Gelman because he has so much experience doing tummy tucks, he made me feel comfortable and he was very honest with me.  Like, he told me to stop smoking, while two other doctors said it was ok if I continued to smoke even if I was getting ready to have cosmetic surgery.  Dr. Gelman made it clear that I needed to take care of myself and he didn’t make me feel bad about myself.  That meant something to me.

I also felt good about my decision because friends of mine have had tummy tucks, liposuction, mommy makeovers and I know women who have had breast reductions, too.  I see that they have gotten the bodies they want to have and I wanted to feel that way about my body, too.  The funny thing is that after my consult with Dr. Gelman, I found out my aunt had gone to him for cosmetic surgery a few years ago.  She looks fantastic since she had her facelift, but I didn’t know which doctor she had gone to.  She was thrilled that I was going to have him do my tummy tuck because she got a good result and friends of hers who’ve gone to him have, too.

You’re paying how much?!

A few of my friends questioned the price but had to admit that if they had the money, they’d fix what bothered them.  I knew it would cost between $5000 and $6000 and I had $10,000.  I saved up the money and it was worth it.  Anyway, I scheduled the procedure and it went well.  I wasn’t sure what to expect afterwards, but even during the first few days after surgery I have to say I was feeling much happier about my body.  Once I was up and back to my normal routine, I also found out how much fun shopping can be! [laughter]  I can wear things I would never even let myself look at before – form fitting tops, skinny belts, low rise jeans…clothes that show off my new flat belly.

Patience Through Recovery

Recovering from a tummy tuck does take patience.  It takes a couple of months to fully heal, and I thought I’d be up and doing everything within a week or two because I’m young and healthy.  I had to get my expectations in line with reality.  Once I did that, it became exciting to see the positive changes in my body and to know that soon I would be looking the way I’ve wanted to look for so many years.  I want to tell other women or men who are considering cosmetic surgery that Dr. Gelman and his staff were really good to me.  For instance, Laura (the patient coordinator who watched over me before, during, and after surgery) gave me a big hug before I went into surgery.  That meant a lot to me.  Everyone in the office was nice and I got the impression that they know it’s a big deal for each patient even though Dr. Gelman does these procedures all the time.  Somehow they seem to remember that for each patient, it’s the first time.  They go out of their way to put you at ease.

Did it change your life?

My lifestyle changed after the procedure.  My eating habits have changed for the better.  I’m more careful about what I eat now and I’m motivated to work out because I like my new body and want to keep it looking as good as possible.  Overall, I’m just living a more healthy life.

Advice for Patients

I hope my story makes it easier for others to go ahead and fix what they can’t fix on their own with diet and exercise.  My advice to them is to really pick a doctor carefully.  Don’t just settle for the first one you see or the one whose prices are the lowest.  It’s your body you’re talking about!  And take someone with you to your consult if you feel comfortable doing that so you can discuss it afterwards.  Pick a doctor who listens to you and who gives you time to ask your questions…in other words, someone who treats you like you matter.  For me, that made all the difference.

My name is KS and I had breast augmentation with silicone gel implants done by Dr. Gelman one month ago.  I’m 30, single, and had been thinking about doing this for as long as I can remember.

I was an A-cup and went for my first consult with a cosmetic surgeon when I was only 21.  Silicone implants weren’t available then and I decided to put it off.  Then, recently I got serious and started shopping around for the right doctor.  I read forums, went on message boards and looked at cosmetic surgery websites and had a couple of consultations.  I even put a deposit down with one of the doctors I talked to.  But when I had my consultation with Dr. Gelman, I was impressed by how many breast augmentations he’s done and by how great his patients looked in their “after” photos.   He also spent more time with me and patiently answered all my questions.  He helped me select the right size implants, the ones that would be best – and look best – for my body. He also recommended that I go with the smooth (rather than the textured) implants.  I wanted to know about implants being put under or over the muscle and he explained all of that to me, too.  After the consultation, I felt fully prepared to schedule a surgery date.  One week later I had it done.

I know quite a number of women who’ve had breast augmentations done.  Once I started asking around, I was surprised by how many women have had cosmetic surgery to get the breasts they wanted. Now they all share their stories with me and they think the results I got are outstanding, including two sisters I know who went to another doctor.  They just raved over my results, which made me feel good about choosing Dr. Gelman.  My parents weren’t happy about the idea in the beginning, but they ended up being helpful and supportive when they saw how much it meant to me.  Dr. Gelman’s staff were also there for me 110%.  I had the usual worries ahead of time – undergoing anesthesia, would I have scarring, would something go wrong during surgery – and all of my concerns were discussed during my consult and in follow-up calls with my patient coordinator.  As I recovered, they also helped me by giving me feedback about the normal healing process, and by calling to check on me.  I really feel they care about their patients.

How has the breast augmentation changed my life? The biggest change I notice is that I already feel more feminine and balanced.  But the small changes matter just as much to me.  For example, I put a dress on the other day and when I saw how good I looked in it I just broke down and cried. I’ve gone from being a 34-A to 34-C, so shopping for bras is a lot more fun, too.  I look good in them now! I’m dressing differently…and unbuttoning two or three more buttons than I used to [laughter]!

I know that everyone bounces back from breast augmentation surgery in her own way, but for me it was much quicker than I thought it would be.  Four days after my surgery I put on 4” heels and went out to eat at a café, and a week after I went to a party. Not that this is how it is for everyone, but that was my experience.

My advice to other women interested in breast augmentation is to look at photos online, read blogs (to learn about others’ experiences) and – most of all – choose a doctor who does great work and who treats you like a person who matters…because we do [matter.]  It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself.