Docs Suggest Patients Go in With Realistic Expectations

By JESSICA FARGEN

Doctors say patients thinking about one-hour, mini-face- liftsshould make sure their expectations are in line with reality.

“Maybe because of a budget a Mercedes is not for everyone,” said Jim May, chairman of plastic surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital. “We are trying to prevent a person from thinking they are getting a Mercedes and ending up with a Yugo.”

He said one-hour face-lift procedures may be the best bet for younger people who aren’t expecting dramatic changes and don’t want to endure a long surgery, 10-day recovery and don’t have $8,000 for a full face lift.

Dr. William Silver, an Atlanta plastic surgeon who performs QT Mini-Facelif tat Premier Image Cosmetic Surgery, said one-hour lifts are perfect for some people.

“It’s quick time recovery,” he said. “The procedure can be done on a Friday and back to work on Monday. Everyone today is looking for the low downtime procedures.”

Doctors said patients should make sure their surgeons are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. About 6,500 plastic surgeons are board-certified.

“There’s a lot of hype that goes around,” said Dr. Kenneth Marshall, a Wellesley plastic surgeon at the New England Center for Plastic Surgery. “We are constantly looking at the way people are hyping themselves as plastic surgeons, who are not boarded. They are dabbling in it.”

For more information on surgeons certified in plastic surgery, call the AmericanBoard of Plastic Surgery at 215-587-9322 or check on the Web at www.abplsurg.org. In Massachusetts, you can check the status of a doctor at www.massmedboard.org.