Cosmetic Procedures and Safety: What You Need to Know
By Melanie VanDerveer: May 8, 2013
With many recent news stories about the death of Florida plastic surgery patient Adriana DeSilva, you might be wondering what went wrong. You may also be wondering just how safe elective cosmetic procedures are. At MilfordMD, safety is of the utmost importance, and Dr. Richard Buckley makes sure it’s his number one priority with any procedure or treatment he’s performing.
It’s important to know that DaSilva’s case wasn’t typical. The Westchester, NY resident flew down to the Boca Raton Surgery Center in Boca Raton, FL at the suggestion of a friend. She had a breast augmentation and lift, tummy tuck and liposuction of the neck done – often referred to as a “Mommy Makeover.” These procedures were all done in one day under general anesthesia. After the day-long procedures, she left the surgery center feeling there was something wrong. The following day, she still felt there was something wrong and ultimately suffered a stroke and slipped into a coma before being declared brain dead and taken off life support.
“At MilfordMD, we do all our procedures with local tumescent anesthesia, with the patient being wide awake and comfortable. We do not use general anesthesia when the patient is asleep. Safety is the most important factor with any procedure,” said Dr. Richard Buckley. “In a case where one of my patients wants all the procedures done that Adriana DeSilva had done, I would split them up into more than one day to be on the ultra-side of safe.”
At this time, it’s still unknown exactly what went wrong in DeSilva’s case, but there are many possibilities – too many procedures all at once, too long under general anesthesia, medical conditions or medications that DeSilva maybe didn’t tell the doctor, or a handful of other issues. Dr. Buckley and his staff explain the procedure and go over all medical conditions and medications in a consultation appointment. An EKG and blood work are done before procedures to make sure the patient is a good candidate for cosmetic surgery. Safety is and has always been a number one priority at MilfordMD.
Example – If a patient comes into MilfordMD with a desire for laser liposuction, he/she will first meet with one of our aesthetic consultants. This is when the procedure is explained in full detail and questions are answered. Dr. Buckley then joins the patient and consultant and further explains the procedure, as well as examines the areas the patient is interested in getting liposuction on. He can then determine if the patient is a good candidate for this particular procedure based on medical history and expectations. Dr. Buckley then does some calculations on the amount of anesthesia the patient can safely get in a single day. It’s not about convenience; it’s about safety. After that, the consultant can then go over the plan of action – what areas will be treated, how many days of procedures are necessary for the desired outcome, and the cost. If the patient decides to go ahead and book the procedure, they will also book an appointment with our nurse a few weeks prior to the procedure. After liposuction, the patient will come in for follow-up appointments one week, one month, three months, six months, nine months and a year later, all at no extra charge to the patient.
MilfordMD staff is educated on the procedures performed here, and www.milfordmd.com is updated with new information often. The staff welcomes questions. For more information on MilfordMD and the procedures performed by Drs. Marina and Richard Buckley, call 570-296-4000
