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I have recently been informed that we have a general surgeon performing breast reconstructions at our local hospital. This surgeon, herself, is a breast cancer patient who previously worked at a more rural facility where there was limited access to a plastic surgeon. She plans to continue doing these cases until "I can prove myself 'worthy' of her patients," with respect to results. I have a contract with our local hospital specifically to perform breast reconstruction services and have been doing these cases for nearly 15 years. I am passionate about these patients and my goal is to provide these ladies with an aesthetic outcome to a reconstructive case. Stated otherwise, all of my recons look like augments when it's all said and done, so I feel no need to "prove" myself to her. She plans to continue to perform the easy straightforward reconstructions herself but wants to send me all of her radiated, complicated patients. I have reached out to hospital administration to schedule a meeting with them. I plan on gathering appropriate data for the meeting regarding complication rates, revision rates, and overall patient satisfaction scores for patients whose reconstructions were performed by a non-plastic surgeon. (If anyone has any resources readily available, please forward!) Does anyone have any recommendations on how to best handle this situation? Any advice or input is appreciated. 

Laura Cooper

lauracoopermd@gmail.com

Good evening Laura,

It is nice to meet you.  I read your post with great interest.  I had a similar situation about 6-7 years ago.  It sounds like you have a great strategy and with patience you will succeed.  

Here are some additional strategies that could help:

(1). Scope of Practice and ACGME:  I attacked his training and scope of practice as outline by the ACGME.  Additionally, I had medical staff query his training program director and Fellowship director to give context to his breast reconstruction experience (types of cases, number of cases and his number of times he acted as the primary surgeon).  

(2). Talk to the Patients: I queried a local breast reconstruction support group in the area and well as a couple of wound care clinics about his outcomes.  I gathered real patient stories about complications that could have been avoided in the right hands. Encourage those individuals to tell there story.

You will prevail!

Regards

Earl Stephenson, Jr.

ESJ Aesthetics

(678) 294-1512

I have recently been informed that we have a general surgeon performing breast reconstructions at our local hospital. This surgeon, herself, is a breast cancer patient who previously worked at a more rural facility where there was limited access to a plastic surgeon. She plans to continue doing these cases until "I can prove myself 'worthy' of her patients," with respect to results. I have a contract with our local hospital specifically to perform breast reconstruction services and have been doing these cases for nearly 15 years. I am passionate about these patients and my goal is to provide these ladies with an aesthetic outcome to a reconstructive case. Stated otherwise, all of my recons look like augments when it's all said and done, so I feel no need to "prove" myself to her. She plans to continue to perform the easy straightforward reconstructions herself but wants to send me all of her radiated, complicated patients. I have reached out to hospital administration to schedule a meeting with them. I plan on gathering appropriate data for the meeting regarding complication rates, revision rates, and overall patient satisfaction scores for patients whose reconstructions were performed by a non-plastic surgeon. (If anyone has any resources readily available, please forward!) Does anyone have any recommendations on how to best handle this situation? Any advice or input is appreciated. 

Laura Cooper

lauracoopermd@gmail.com