"Re-do" Procedures Increase As More Doctors Offer Plastic Surgery

SHREVEPORT, LA, September 26, 2012 (Press-News.org) While the demand for plastic surgery has remained fairly static in recent years, the number of practitioners offering cosmetic procedures has grown significantly. According to Dr. Simeon Wall, Jr., of The Wall Center for Plastic Surgery, the increase in physicians calling themselves "cosmetic surgeons" has been a major reason he and other board-certified plastic surgeons are increasingly being sought out for corrective surgery. "We've seen a flood of doctors, many not trained in surgery of any type, into cosmetic medicine and surgery because maybe they can make more money in cosmetic surgery than in what they were trained to do. Everyone knows there are serious economic pressures to doctors, and offering cosmetic surgery is available to them. It sounds crazy, but it's true," says Dr. Wall, Jr.

At his practice in Shreveport, Louisiana, breast enhancement and body contouring are the most common procedures that Dr. Wall, Jr. is called upon to fix. "Some of these doctors learned how to do the procedure from a 4-hour course given in a hotel. In contrast, we spent over 100 hours per week for 5 years being trained in plastic surgery," he says.

Dr. Wall, Jr. developed a revolutionary approach to body contouring - SAFELipo - in response to the unique challenges of corrective liposuction in Louisiana. The SAFELipo treatment involves equalization, redistribution, fat grafting, liposuction, skin tightening and contour deformity correction to repair the poor results he often sees in patients.

"We have always had a significant portion of our practice dedicated to secondary, or revision, surgery," Dr. Wall says, "but we've seen it increase quite a bit during the past 3 to 5 years." He says that many of the practice's revision patients are referred by other plastic surgeons, many of whom have seen the same increase in these challenging procedures. Dr. Wall, Jr. says that even though revision patients come from near and far to see him after having an unsatisfactory liposuction procedure elsewhere, many times they can't be helped. "Unfortunately, some of these contour deformities just can't be improved, or fixed. We try to be honest and up front about what we can and cannot improve, and I think patients appreciate that. It's frustrating for us and the patient."

"They take longer to perform, they are much more complex, they require a great deal more expertise and experience to manage, and many times have higher risks," says Dr. Wall, Jr. These factors typically make the cost of these surgeries much higher, often many times more than the cost of the original surgery.

When asked, many patients explain that they originally chose a non-plastic surgeon, or one who is not well-established, for financial reasons. But the risks are not worth it, according to Dr. Wall, Jr. "When you choose a board-certified plastic surgeon, the advantages are worth every penny. You get years of specialized training, a commitment to safety, and the most effective technology and products." One such product, only available through board-certified plastic surgeons, is the recently FDA-approved Sientra breast implants, available in Louisiana at The Wall Center and through other board-certified plastic surgeons.

Dr. Wall, Jr. emphasizes that the best course of action is to trust your cosmetic surgery only to a highly skilled, experienced plastic surgeon, thereby minimizing the need for a re-do in the first place.

The Wall Center for Plastic Surgery was founded in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1970 by Dr. Simeon Wall Sr. His son, Dr. Simeon Wall Jr., and daughter-in-law, Dr. Holly Wall, joined the practice after completing their general surgery and plastic surgery residencies at Stanford University. This family of board-certified plastic surgeons specializes in cosmetic surgery for the breast, body and face, and serves patients from Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Oklahoma. The practice performs more than 2,000 cosmetic surgery procedures each year, and has earned special recognition from each of the 3 major U.S. breast implant manufacturers. The doctors have been selected as "Top Plastic Surgeons" by their peers and by consumer groups alike.

Website: http://www.wallcenter.com