Laser Clinic MD

Inside The Cosmetic Surgery & Dermatology Forums of Medical Spa MD

Medical Spa MD’s plastic surgery and cosmetic dermatology forums are the scene of an unlikely brouhaha that’s more than just uncommon in medicine, it’s unheard of.

Growing increasingly frustrated by what cosmetic surgeons see as a totally manufactured silence and infuriating lack of clinical support from cosmetic laser and IPL companies, plastic surgeons, cosmetic dermatologists and laser clinics have taken their anger public in a kind of free-for-all that you don’t usually see from physicians. A public outing where ‘names are named’ and fingers are pointed…  directly at the management executives of leading cosmetic laser and IPL companies.

In a few cases strings of emails have been published that detail conversations (or lack thereof) that have taken place, publicly embarrassing executives and even fellow cosmetic dermatologists that are acting as luminaries and educators. It’s as though the plastic surgeons have decided to take the gloves off and play hard ball really hard ball.

Of course the sites hosting these cosmetic surgeons forums have some headaches of their own. Medical Spa MD has been served with a number of lawyer letters and threats for daring to air these forum discussions in public.

There’s still plenty of pragmatism and horse sense left. Most of the cosmetic dermatologists comments that are left are made anonymously and the forums that host these discussions generally try to protect the physicians from hidden reprisals.

“We’ve received more than the usual web site’s number of nasty-grams”, says the publisher of Medical Spa MD, “but to censor public discourse between physicians is not what we’re about. The cosmetic surgeons on the site are responsible for what they post directly and commenting that they’re not receiving sufficient support is just that, their opinion.”

The issues are tangled by the types of support answers that the most vocal plastic surgeons are demanding, leaving the IPL and laser companies in the uncomfortable position of seeming to be alienating their cosmetic dermatologists as customers, or providing information for treatments that could easily be considered off-label use by the FDA, opening them up to potentially hazardous liability claims from patients and the very physicians who are demanding the answers.

The topic is not likely to die down anytime soon. Information that’s disseminated on the web has a long life and it’s obvious that technology companies are taking notice. In some cases they’ve actively joined in the discussion forums and proactively address concerns of individuals as soon as they’re posted, leaving an impression of active customer support. These tactics seem to be working as the IPL and laser manufactures who are active have a much lower incidence of negative comments from plastic surgeons who see their calls for support go unheeded.

In the end it will come down to market demands. Many cosmetic dermatologists and plastic surgeons who are opening new cosmetic medical or laser clinics and investigating IPL and laser treatments are finding their way into these new forums and asking more experienced peers for advice. IPL and cosmetic laser companies who aren’t part of the discussion can’t expect to win the propaganda wars.