Visit Medical Spa MD's plastic surgery and cosmetic dermatology forums and you'll step into an unlikely brouhaha that's more than just uncommon in cosmetic dermatology and plastic surgery circles, it's unheard of.
Frustrated by what many physicians see as an incomprehensible and infuriating lack of support from cosmetic laser and IPL companies, they've taken their anger public in a kind of free-for-all tongue-lashing that you don't usually see from plastic surgeons where 'names are named' and fingers are pointed directly at identified individuals that are running prominent laser and IPL manufacturing companies.
In some cases entire strings of emails are published detailing conversations (or lack thereof) and publicly embarrassing top executives and even fellow cosmetic dermatologists that are acting as luminaries. It's as though the physicians have now decided to play hard ball really hard.
There's still some common sense left. Most of the physicians comments are made anonymously and the medical discussion forums that host these discussions protect the cosmetic surgeons who wish to remain under some level of secrecy.
The web sites hosting these cosmetic surgeons forums have some headaches of their own. Medical Spa MD, the most prominent forum for physicians in cosmetic medicine, has been served with a substantial number of letters and threats from lawyers for daring to make these forum discussions public.
"We've received a number of nasty-grams", says the publisher of Medical Spa MD, "but censoring public discourse between physicians is not what forums are about. The cosmetic dermatologists on the site are directly responsible for what they post and commenting that their opinion is that they're not receiving sufficient support from the cosmetic laser companies 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 physicians 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 plastic surgeons who are demanding the answers.
The topic is not likely to go away soon. Information that's disseminated publicly on the web has a long shelf life and it's obvious that technology companies are now taking notice. In some cases laser companies have actively joined in the discussion forums and proactively address concerns of individuals as soon as they're posted, leaving an impression of healthy and proactive customer support. These tactics seem to be working. The IPL and laser manufactures who are active have a much lower incidence of negative comments from cosmetic surgeons who see their calls for support go unanswered.
In the end it will come down to market demands. Many cosmetic surgeons who are opening new cosmetic medical clinics and investigating IPL and laser technology are finding their way into these forums and asking their more experienced peers for advice. IPL and laser manufacturers who aren't part of the discussion can't expect to win the propaganda wars. - 30516
About the Author:
Medical Spa MD is a cosmetic medical community of Plastic Surgeons, Cosmetic Dermatologists, and Aesthetic Physicians with more than 3,500 members. Medical Spa MD offers Medical Esthetician Training and provides information on non-surgical cosmetic medical technologies and treatments.
