Cosmetic surgeons react to controversial billboards

Updated: 8/21/2012 10:40 am | Published: 8/20/2012 8:48 pm

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SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (ABC 4 News) - Last week, we showed you some controversial billboards going up across the Wasatch paid for by the Utah plastic surgery society. On them are warnings about what can happen if you don't choose a board certified plastic surgeon for your cosmetic procedures. Those ads are causing outrage among cosmetic surgeons in town. One contacted ABC 4 to defend himself against what he calls a heartbreaking low blow.

"That’s just below the belt type advertising. I understand clever and classy type advertising, sexy stuff, but this is below the belt," said Dr. Drake Vincent, M.D.

Vincent's first degree was in dentistry. Then, he went on to get a medical degree and became a licensed physician and facial surgeon in the state of Utah.

"You know I could either do 24 months of plastic surgery training or I could do 72 months of facial surgery. In my opinion it's much easier to drift from the face down than it is from the body up," Vincent said.

He claims the Utah plastic surgeons who posted these billboards were making a direct jab at him because he has a dental degree, which he said was nonsense.

"This isn't like, I’m a dentist doing teeth in the morning then doing breast surgery in the afternoon," he said.

Vincent invited us into his practice for a day where we saw a liposuction procedure and a breast augmentation.

"I think that I’m every bit, if not more qualified to perform the procedures that I do," Vincent said.

We wanted to know the difference between a cosmetic surgeon and a plastic surgeon. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, "plastic surgery encompasses both cosmetic and reconstructive surgery." the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery states cosmetic surgeons focus on “the enhancement of appearance through surgical and medical techniques.”

No matter what type of surgeon you choose for your cosmetic procedure, Doctor Vincent said just make sure you do your research.

"Be wise about your beauty. If you're going to have a cosmetic surgeon do your procedure, research your doctor," he said.

Both cosmetic surgeons and plastic surgeons have a board certification process where the doctor must have a certain amount of education and training. Click here to learn more about plastic surgery, and here to learn more about cosmetic surgery.

billboards, cosmetic surgery, plastic surgery

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stayinformed - 9/5/2012 3:06 PM

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Dr. Vincent's comments illustrate precisely why properly surgeons need to inform the public of proper credentials. Dr. Vincent opines that it is "easier" to drift down to the body while tacitly acknowledging no training in surgery below the neck. He is clearly unaware that abdominoplasty is the cosmetic procedure with the highest complication rate. His assertion that Plastic Surgeons train for a mere 24-months is both deliberately misleading and disingenuous. In case you don't realize Dr. Vincent -- most Plastic Surgeons train an average of 7-years with many training longer. You fail to mention that your 72-months includes 24-months of medical school rotations. My experience with the 3rd year OMFS residents was that they were often placed at the same level as surgical interns. One wonders where Dr. Vincent acquired the skills to perform breast and body surgery during his "extensive" head and neck training. Did Dr. Vincent ever perform CEAs (that's carotid endarterectomy to you Dr. Vincent); thyroid surgery; parotidectomy etc during his OMFS training? Dr. Vincent follows a common tack amongst the improperly credentialed. That is to say -- they trumpet their own meagre credentials while lambasting the legitimate credentials of Plastic Surgeons. By Dr. Vincent's arguments, I see no reason why Family Practitioners couldn't "drift" into Neurosurgery and Internists "drift" into placing stents. Dr. Vincent -- you are the reason the billboards not only exist, but are very necessary. PR

src1214 - 8/28/2012 2:22 PM

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I would agree with the comments made as well. Many are not going to research certification and accreditation, so we must be direct and to the point in order to make an impact. This is a wide span issue throughout healthcare. I work for a group of private practice OD’s that belong to and support organizations such as the AOA, AOA-PAC, IOP, State Board of Optometry and Vision Source. We see this frequently in our profession (although on a different scale) and can feel your frustration. A person can have an eye examination and purchase eye wear at a “store” that also sells tires and samples hotdogs, but is that OD going to take the time to examine their retina or visual pathways, possibly diagnosing a malignant neoplasm, age related macular degeneration or glaucoma? All of which are a symptomatic in their early stages, two of which are the leading causes of severe vision loss and blindness in America, with no cure or possibility of reversing damage; whereas early detection and treatment are key. Is there a difference between an OD affiliated with the AOA & other state associations and one that is not? Of course there is. Just because these things happen in healthcare doesn't mean that we, as professionals that do understand the difference, should let them. It is our responsibility as health care providers and professionals to educate the public; kudos to the billboard.

khloenoelle - 8/27/2012 8:18 PM

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I agree with the comments made. In response to the anesthesia, Vincent has a CRNA provide the general aneshesia, but performs the majority of the procedures under conscious sedation, in which the staff nurse does all of the sedation. He claims that it is "better for the patient". However, it is also a LOT cheaper for him. I don't believe he has the patients' safety in the best interest with this method, rather making money. As mentioned below, Vincent is not qualified to be performing these procedures. The Utah Plastic Surgery Society has every right to inform the public of the dangers involved with undergoing cosmetic surgery with a "doctor" who is a dentist.

anonymous - 8/23/2012 2:52 PM

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"In my opinion it's much easier to drift from the face down than it is from the body up," Vincent said.... I'm not sure that it is in the best interest of the patient to have their surgeon "drift" in any direction from their training!

OliverHolmes - 8/23/2012 11:50 AM

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Amen to anonymous. I feel your frustration. I'm a board certified anesthesiologist. I wish that the DOPL dental board would deal with this issue. Utah is becoming the Wild West of medicine. I have no problem with the controversial billboards. They educate the public. Dentists doing breast augmentation put the public at risk.

OliverHolmes - 8/23/2012 11:45 AM

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Ttalo, I agree with your sentiments. He has his own surgery center presumably because no hospital wants to take on the liability of an oral surgeon doing plastic and reconstructive surgery. Probably uses CRNAs, but I don't know for sure. JFrentzen, your point is valid to some extent, but I do think that an oral surgeon doing breast augmentation is reckless and ridiculous. Less invasive procedures with less risk? Maybe. Vincent needs to be honest about his training. He didn't go to dental school and then medical school and then train to be a plastic surgeon. He went to dental school, got an MD degree in less than two years via an unconventional route as part of his oral surgery residency and did not do a plastics fellowship. Utah law, by the way, requires two years of an ACGME accredited residency in order to get an MD license. I'm guessing that he has only only one year if that. Jfrentzen, this probably is somewhat of a turf war between bona fide plastic surgeons and others, but I'm sure as well that general surgery-trained plastic surgeons are tired of dealing with the complications pushed off to them by others who are eager but insufficiently qualified.

anonymous - 8/23/2012 11:43 AM

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The focus of the article is wrong. This is about patient safety, not "turf wars". If a "cosmetic" surgeon has the expertise and qualifications to safely do these procedures so be it. A big part of safety IS training. A big part of safety IS operating room certification for safety. A big part of safety IS the expertise of the individual administering anesthesia for the procedure. I am not certain that "72 months of facial surgery" (which if we are being honest was really 6 years of oral and maxillofacial surgery training) prepares one for heart surgery, brain surgery OR plastic surgery. Of course I am biased.... I am a board certified plastic surgeon....so please be skeptical and do your own research. My own training after medical school included 6 years of plastic surgery training after medical school (not 24 months). This was not ALL cosmetic surgery. The reconstructive aspects of plastic surgery including breast reconstruction for cancer and breast reduction surgery are invaluable to a COMPLETE understanding of cosmetic breast surgery.

ttalo - 8/23/2012 10:43 AM

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One thing that isn't mentioned in the piece and should be considered...does Dr. Vincent perform his surgical procedures in an accrediated surgery center or hospital? Who does the anesthesia? Is it performed by a board certified anesthesiologist? It is simple, a dentist should fix your teeth, an Ob/Gyn should deliver your baby and a board certified plastic surgeon should perform your plastic surgery!

jfrentzen - 8/23/2012 9:05 AM

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OliverHolmes makes some good points, but large numbers of physicians trained outside of the plastic surgery institutions and NOT certified by his Board are performing cosmetic surgery without injury or regret from patients. There always have been intense rivalries and "dirty tricks" campaigns being mounted by plastic surgery groups to protect their turf from doctors who came to their field from other specialties. It is a longstanding "class war" among specialties in the aesthetic arena and the billboard hoopla is just another sign of that tactic.

OliverHolmes - 8/22/2012 11:09 PM

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Dr. Vincent's remarks are disingenuous. He's a dentist who did oral surgery training. About half of the oral surgery programs arrange for their trainees to get an MD degree (typically from 3rd tier medical schools) during their oral surgery "residencies." It's commonly known as the back door way of getting an MD degree. Oral surgeons don't really go to medical school, they just do a few 3rd and 4th year rotations. It's a racket and shouldn't happen, but it does. Fundamentally, Dr. Vincent's training is vastly inferior to that of a conventional plastic surgeon who does 5-7 years of brutal general surgery training followed by a 2-3 year plastics fellowship. He shouldn't be doing plastic surgery. He's not board certified by the real plastic surgery board. And he should be forced to advertise with his DDS degree because he is a dentist. Not doing so confuses the public.

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