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Health and Wellness
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Under 2, Free for You! Free Infant Exam for New Patients Under 2 Years of Age. *Non-insured patients $95 value or insurance may cover. Cannot be combined with any other discounts. Limit One. Expires 11/15/15. NJ’s favorite kids’ docs TM Amy Planz, D.D.S. 390 Amwell Rd. Bldg. 2, Suite 201 Hillsborough, NJ 08844 P 908-829-3345 F 908-829-3341 www.hillsboroughpediatricdentistry.com Diplomate, American Board of Pediatric Dentistry; Specialty #5778 Dentistry for infants, toddlers, special needs children and teens PREVENTION & TREATMENT OF DIGESTIVE DISEASES: • Abdominal Pain Evaluation • Acid Reflux & Ulcer Treatment • Liver Disease Treatment & Evaluating • Colon Cancer Screening • Gastrointestinal Bleeding Management • Hemorrhoid & Fissure Treatment • Irritable Bowel Syndrome • Ulcerative Colitis & Crohn’s Disease • Gallstones & Gall Bladder Disease • Pancreatic Diseases 25 Monroe Street Bridgewater, NJ (908) 231-1999 203 Towne Centre Dr. Hillsborough, NJ (908) 359-1639 1140 Stelton Rd., Suite 101 Piscataway, NJ (732) 339-8810 Stephen R. Shapiro, M.D. Jeffrey S. Unger, M.D. Surya P. Irakam, M.D., FACP, FACG Robert S. Wiesen, M.D. We specialize in Gastroenterology, which is the treatment of diseases and disorders of the digestive system or gastrointestinal (GI) tract. THE RISE AND FALL OF LIFESTYLE LIFT By: Andrea Strauss, M.D. F.A.C.S. Lifestyle Lift once dominated the world of infomercials and is gener- ally considered the first model of corporate medicine. It was launched in 2001 as an alternative to a stan- dard facelift. Based in Michigan, the company built 50 independent surgery centers across the U.S. with 400 employees including “trained surgical consultants” who explained the procedure, potential complica- tions, took relevant medical infor- mation, booked the surgery and took the money all on the day of the consult. Patients often saw the surgeon for the first time on the day of the procedure. Lifestyle Lift doctors were mostly part-time subcontractors. Training involved reading a large manual which explaining how to do the procedure, how to administer local anesthesia and how to care for emergencies. The manual urged doctors to use the skills and judge- ment they developed in their resi- dencies and practices to tailor the service to the patient. Unfortunate- ly, the company had no policy requiring their surgeons (mostly ENTs) to have completed special- ized training in Facial Plastic Sur- gery or even to be board certified. The surgery, performed with oral sedation and local anesthesia, lasted several hours. There was no anesthe- siologist or monitoring devices and no post-surgical recovery room observation. The company finances began to unravel with the recession of 2008. With a weekly advertising expense of $1 million, high pressure sales tactics by the surgical consultants were required to make sure every consult resulted in a paid procedure and extra expenses such as post-op complications and needed revisions were sent elsewhere. The final downfall for Lifestyle Lift was the result of mounting legal expenses. The company was sued repeatedly for false advertising, claiming they were performing a “revolutionary procedure” when they were not, for “astroturfing” – using phony patient reviews, and for “materially misleading con- duct” such as claiming the surgery was pain free, and that local anes- thesia was safer. In March of this year Lifestyle Lift filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Many people were very happy with their results and their experience with Lifestyle Lift. Many others were not. How do you best insure a positive outcome? Do your due dili- gence. Have a consultation with a surgeon, or several surgeons until you click with the right one. Go back and talk again until you are comfortable with the planned sur- gery. Ask to speak with a patient who has had that surgery. Most important, if you are thinking about having plastic surgery, make sure the surgeon is Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and a member of the Amer- ican Society of Plastic Surgeons. Dr. Andrea Strauss is a Plastic Sur- geon on staff at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somer- set, with a private practice at 11 Monroe Street in Bridgewater, New Jersey. For more information about cosmetic or reconstructive surgery, or to make an appoint- ment call Plastic Surgical Associ- ates at 908-725-4600.