These events also raise money for local organizations that provide special care and services that blend with the needs of many of our patients.  Previously we have donated portions of the proceeds from these evenings to the Joan Katz Breast Center (link:   http://www.wfaa.com/good-morning-texas/Celebrating-the-Opening-of-Joan-Katz-Breast-Center-92340909.html), and the local Komen Foundation ( link:  http://ww5.komen.org/).  For the February 2012 event, the recipient is Cuisine for Healing (link: http://www.cuisineforhealing.org/).  We are excited to partner with these groups.  Sue Austin from Cuisine for Healing will be present Wednesday evening and you can learn all about it from her.

Another terrific local organization that also offers special services to our breast cancer patients is Indigo Yoga (link: http://www.indigoyoga.net/).  Brooke Hamblet Hinkle, Founder and Director, will also be present Wednesday.  Come visit with her to learn about yoga may be of benefit to you or someone you know!

These are not just boring little wine-and-cheese events.  The office staff kind of goes ‘over the top’ in putting these evenings together.   Come join us and see for yourself.  Bring a friend!  Call the office and make a reservation because, darn the luck, the fire marshal only allows so many people in the building at one time!

Reward:  something given or received in return or recompense for service, merit, hardship, etc.

       I am fortunate to have been awarded listing in Fort Worth, Texas magazine’s Top Docs list numerous times and Texas Monthly magazine’s Texas Super Doctors list for five consecutive years.  These lists are created by physicians voting for doctors they think represent the best in their respective fields of medicine.  To me these awards recognize not just the surgical outcomes achieved but also the complete patient experience accomplished in our office.  This includes the level of care patients receive by the entire office staff, from how they are handled when they call the office to the caring attitudes they encounter during their postoperative visits.  Being voted to these lists is an honor that recognizes  complete team involvement, and I am grateful to be part of a great team in the office.
       Perhaps more rewarding, however, are the relationships we develop with our patients.   Having just completed another holiday season, I am humbled every year by the number of patients who bring candy, tamales, popcorn tins and other thoughtful items to the office.  This illustrates, in a way, the relationships developed over time not just with our cosmetic clients but with our breast and skin cancer patients as well.  Awards like being named to Top Docs and Super Doctors lists are gratifying, but the rewards of developing unique relationships with our patients are truly meaningful and drive us in our practice.  Thank you to the doctors who have nominated me to these lists and to the patients who make this practice so remarkable.

(Here is a video of the Top Docs recognition event for 2011; I am briefly shown at the 2:05 mark: Top Docs video )

I am involved with a team of physicians who treat breast cancer patients.  We have conferences on Wednesdays where individual cases are presented.  The team includes medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgical oncologists, pathologists, breast-imaging specialists, clinical breast nurse navigators, genetics specialists, and plastic surgeons.  All aspects of the cases are discussed, from the specifics of the tumor cells to the living situation of the patient.  This provides a balanced, well-thought-out plan of treatment uniquely suited to the patients.   Because of my dedication to treat these cancer patients in a timely manner, we sometimes have to alter my clinic schedule so I can work with the mastectomy surgeon to eradicate the cancer and provide immediate breast reconstruction.  My office staff does amazing work in managing all of this.  We find that this team-oriented approach makes the entire process a little less scary, a bit more comforting, and a lot more thorough in providing optimal treatment for our breast cancer patients.

That report was, and is, in stark contrast to recommendations by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, The American College of Radiology, and the American Cancer Society.  All of these groups recommend that women begin receiving mammograms at age 40, and that they continue having mammograms yearly after that.    For women in their 20′s and 30′s, clinical breast examinations should be performed every three years. (Here is an interesting link: ob-gyn-group-recommends-annual-mammograms-in-40s).

I work with a lot of breast cancer patients.  Many of them are in their 20′s. I am not a statistician but rather just a practical practicing plastic surgeon.  Whether the government or a government-sponsored agency reports data, or whether a medical group reports data, there will probably be some hidden (or maybe not so hidden) bias.  To me it gets down to, who do you trust more, your government or your doctor?  Use common sense, be aware and be vigilant, and be your own strongest advocate.  Keep “abreast” of your health!

I have been doing some landscaping around my house.  This spring I put a great plant in my backyard, a Japanese aralia.  This plant has a tropical look to it.  In the summer heat, however, it quickly lets me know when it needs to be watered.  It wilts and looks a bit sickly.  With just a little water, however, it perks right back up.

How is this relevant?  It reminds me about people, about what really happens when we need water.  Our cells crave water.  The right amount of water allows all the cellular processes to take place normally.  Losing just a little bit of water causes cells to shrink and all the things in them to become more compacted.  The machinery just doesn’t work the same.

We have had so many 100 degree days and so little rain here in North Texas this summer.   Just starting your car will cause you to work up a sweat.  It’s easy to fall behind on your hydration.  By the time you become thirsty you have probably already lost 2% of your total body fluid.  Your best protection is to try to remember to drink water frequently through the day, rather than waiting until you become thirsty.  This will protect you and all of your cells, particularly through this heat.

Now, imagine yourself as that Japanese aralia.  Picture your skin as those drooping leaves.   Maybe the best thing you can do to maintain your normal, healthy appearance this summer is to keep hydrated. Moisturizers will help, but there really is no substitute for healthy, well-lubricated cells.  Don’t wilt in this parched North Texas summer!

My pager went off (cell phones were in their infancy and few people had them) that first Saturday afternoon, and it was the University Hospital emergency room telling me about a patient. He was a young man, about 23, who had been on a boat with some friends. They were having fun, water skiing, having a few beers. As the day wound down and the last skier was climbing back into the boat, this young man did what anyone who skis has done many times. He started to pull the rope in. As he did that, he wrapped the rope around his upper arm and the ‘V’ between his thumb and index finger, going around and around. After he had done this wrap a few times the guy driving the boat, who incidentally had only had “a couple beers”, punched the throttle forward. The boat lunged forward while a bunch of the ski rope was still dragging behind the boat. In an instant the entire rope jerked tight, snapping around the young man’s upper arm and severing it. The entire arm was yanked off in the middle of the upper arm, and it fell into the water. Someone dove in after it, retrieved it, and somehow they managed to bring the man and his arm to the emergency room.

Let that scenario sink in for a second.

There are just so many things that we do that we take for granted. Water skiing and drinking beer? It almost seems like there is some sort of statute here in North Texas that says you can’t go skiing without having a cold one around. Wrapping the ski rope as you pull it in? How else are you going to get the rope into the boat? This was another situation where everyone was having a good time but someone just didn’t pay attention for a second. And that second meant the difference between a nice day versus losing an arm (we couldn’t save the arm).

We have a severe drought in North Texas this year and the lakes are low. Tree stumps lurk close to, but below, the lake surfaces. Be careful if you’re out on the lakes in the next two months. Take that extra second or two to be aware, to be safe. And remember, if you’re the one driving the boat, you shouldn’t be drinking cocktails (or beer!).

By the way, the same is true with fireworks. Some day maybe I’ll write about my experience with those from a plastic surgeon’s perspective.

In my office we believe that patient education and open communication  are keys to achieving great results.  Combining technical skill and broad experience with cutting-edge technology may help achieve amazing results, but helping you understand what thoughts actually go into the decision-making process will add to your comfort and peace of mind.

Check back often to learn about the latest news, updates and additions to the practice and within the field of plastic surgery, and feel free to post comments and/or suggestions on any posts that you find of interest.