Dr. Ramona Bates is a plastic surgeon in Little Rock, Arkansas, who writes regularly at Suture for a Living.
An outcomes article in the January 2011 issue of the Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery asks the question: Are Patients Making High-Quality Decisions about Breast Reconstruction after Mastectomy? Their conclusion: Women treated with mastectomy in this study were not well-informed about breast reconstruction.
Photography, not only in wound care, but in many areas of medicine/surgery (before and after photos, changes in hemangiomas, etc) is important. As the article points out, if more than one person is to be responsible for taking these photos it is equally important that practice standards be implemented and adhered to.
Munck Wilson Mandala Partner Greg Howison shared his perspective on some of the legal ramifications around AI, IP, connected devices and the data they generate, in response to emailed questions.
The cultural and metaphorical meaning of the heart remains strong on Valentine's Day, despite the advances made in cardiology.
There is a new article on surgeons and the risk of suicide in the January issue of Archives of Surgery. The article I read on the study includes a story from a colleague who was a plastic surgeon here in Little Rock when I went into practice. He left his surgical practice a few years ago, retrained and is now in hospice care at the local VA.
The transplant medical device relies on high frequency ultrasound that monitors blood flow and the cardiovascular system, which is the first place sign of rejection will appear. The transplant monitoring system is still pending FDA approval, but it was used recently with a hand transplant at Jewish Hospital Hand Care Center and the Christine M Kleinert Institute.
Do you recall the severe rationing of food and water the Chilean miners had to endure to survive? The rationing was done to stretch their limited resources. I would argue the state of Arizona's new policy to not cover organ transplants for patients on Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), or its version of Medicaid, is a similar form of rationing.
At the Abarca Forward conference earlier this year, George Van Antwerp, managing director at Deloitte, discussed how social determinants of health and a personalized member experience can improve medication adherence and health outcomes.
Shouldn’t it be possible to voice a concern about a medical treatment, procedure, or claim without the fear of retaliation? If the claims are backed by science, then simply addressing my concerns would be enough. Fear of retaliation silences discussion. Fear of retaliation makes it difficult to do the “right thing” when the public or an individual patient is at risk. This incidence involves a British plastic surgeon threatened with libel action by the ‘Boob Job’ cream’s manufacturer after she voiced concerns/doubts of its effectiveness.
The October issue of the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Journal has a nice review article of stem cells (bold emphasis is mine). The article gives an overview of current advancements in the field of stem cell research, as well as perspectives for future clinical applications. Stem cells are defined by their capacity to both self-renew […]
Over the past 2o years, there have been very few times I have asked patients to reschedule. Even though I tell patients they have nothing to apologize for when they then to cancel, I always apologize. This is especially true when it comes to asking them to reschedule surgery. Yes, I know you have asked for time of work. Yes, I know you have arranged for someone to help care for you, for your children, etc. Yes, I realize you may have airline tickets to come into town to stay with family here while recovering.
DynaMed is free to use, but registration is required. It is evidenced-based, often with links to related articles. It provides information related to the disease, diagnosis, and treatment. I have only recently registered and been given my user/password, but with the limited “playing” around I have found it full of useful information.
We will highlight Build My Health's revenue practice management tools, which could help physician practices add up to $250,000 to their practices.
Louisville surgeons at The Jewish Hospital Hand Care Center recently performed the third double-hand transplant done in the United States. It is the first to be live tweeted.
Peaceful slumber is broken Quarter after midnight, Report that multiple crash Survivors are being Transported here and elsewhere. Up, leaving behind the Virtual for the real world Waiting, coffee in hand, Xpecting the worst injuries. Your eyes watch the doors open, Zooming, your focus sharpens. ***Another poem attempt for Dr. Charles.
“I see you remembered to bring the office forms I mailed you.” “Yes, but I need to fill them out,” he replies. I hand him a pen and clipboard, thinking “you had over a week to fill them out at home.” Fifteen minutes later, I smile as he hands me the filled-in forms.
There is a nice article in the May issue of Plastic Surgery Practice which discusses how to deal with unhappy or difficult patients. No matter the area of medicine or surgery, you are bound to have one or two of these patients over the years. It never hurts to learn or review tips in dealing […]
I must say I was surprised (astounded) when I first saw the KFC commercial touting their Buckets for the Cure. It is a partnership between KFC and Susan G. Komen for the Cure. KFC donated 50 cents for each bucket purchased. This after the recent addition to KFC’s menu of the double down! It is […]