A Word From Dr. Bissoon

How Estheticians Practice Medicine Without a License

2007-10-03T16:25:00.000-05:00

While working on a patient today, I could hear my office manager speaking on the phone to someone in an alarmed voice. She then looked at me and said,"you need to speak with this woman, she went to a Spa and the Esthetician offered her Mesotherapy for weight loss". I went to the phone and introduced myself to the woman who was freaking out. She wanted to know if Estheticians can perform Mesotherapy. I told her they are not licensed to inject in any state. She then proceeded to tell me that the Esthetician told her it was safe and the materials used were from vegetables. She was so concerned about this procedure being offered to her by a non physician, that she went home and googled Mesotherapy and found www.Mesotherapy.com. She proceeded to read the Patient Warning and then called my office.

She wanted to know which authority to report this person. She was going to call the Medical Board, I advised her to call the District Attorney's office, since the Medical Board has no jurisdiction over Estheticians. The patient was really concerned since she had a heart problem and the Esthetician told her it was ok. She was shocked that someone in a spa with no medical credentials could casually offer to perform a medical procedure. I asked her if she knew where the medications came from. She told me the Esthetician told her they were "ampoules", the source was not mentioned and the components were not disclosed. In fact, she said the Esthetician barely spoke English. I seriously doubt the esthetician knew what is in the ampoulues.

This is very disturbing. Recently, an Esthetician was arrested in Kansas for performing Lipodissolve. Estheticians do not have any medical skills to inject, evaluate and treat patients. If this was the case, potential physicians can skip College and Medical School and take a training course to become an esthetician. Then they can go out and practice medicine.

Unfortunately, patients are becoming victims by going to spas for Mesotherapy and Lipodissolve. Many patients feel it is cheaper so they think its ok, however, once there is a problem they cry wolf. They seem to forget they made the decision to get a medical procedure by someone who is not qualified.

I am thrilled this woman who called my office today, did the right thing by doing her research. It is my hope that she follows through with reporting this to the right authorities.

Estheticians, massage therapist, LPN's, and nurses are not licensed to practice medicine. Nurses, LPN's, Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants need a physician supervision to perform Mesotherapy and Lipodissolve injections.

For more information on who is qualified to practice Mesotherapy check out the patient warning page on www.mesotherapy.com

Mesotherapy Reunites Long Lost Friends (Part 2)

2007-01-29T15:40:00.000-05:00

While my friend Carl was recuperating from a pulmonary embolism caused by Liposuction, he began gaining weight again, and decided to pursue alternative weight-loss regimens. During his research, he stumbled on a website for Mesotherapy. This site contained a video clip from ABC's 20/20 - an episode first broadcast in August 2003. To his surprise, Carl watched an interview with yours truly, as well as my "star" patient Roberta Flack.

NOW I understood why my long-lost friend had immediately congratulated me on my success. He saw an old high-school buddy on network TV with singer Roberta Flack, discussing her weight-loss success from using Mesotherapy.

I asked which website he'd visited, and looked up the doctor's name while we talked. This person was not on the list of Mesotherapists that I'd trained.

I asked Carl if he'd already met this doctor for a consultation. No, he hadn't. I told Carl that many doctors now "quote" me, and otherwise lead patients to believe I've trained them - or (at minimum) that they're using the same formulas and techniques I use in my practice. Then I asked Carl why he hadn't seen this doctor.

"I didn't get a good feeling about him. Most important, I got the impression that the doctor didn't know what he was doing." The only good thing that came from visiting this website, he said, was reconnecting with me and rekindling our friendship.

This is one illustration of why it's important to make sure your doctor is an adequately trained Mesotherapist - not someone riding the "coattails" of my media interviews to promote his practice. Many so-called Mesotherapists claim, "As Seen on TV" or as seen in XYZ magazine. Many even claim to be pioneers in this field. Excuse my tone, but this is pure, unadulterated BS.

I, personally, introduced Mesotherapy to the United States in 1999. At that time, after returning from my training in Paris, there were only two websites offering information on Mesotherapy. One was sponsored by the French Society of Mesotherapy. Mine was the only English-language website.

Before the 2003 20/20 news story, few Americans had even heard of Mesotherapy. This medical specialty had been covered in the national print media, but that was nothing compared to the exposure that resulted from the 20/20 television story.

Immediately, courses sprang up around the country, and everyone was quoting 20/20. One doctor even posted on his website a statement made by Roberta Flack on the program. His goal? To make it seem that HE was the doctor who'd treated her. (It was quickly removed after my attorney forwarded a letter.) The point is: everyone claims to be a Mesotherapy "pioneer" these days.

I say this not just because I have a healthy ego, but because it's critical for you - the potential patient - to find a Mesotherapist who is skilled, competent and knowledgeable. Don't visit your local "pioneer." Conduct careful research before choosing your doctor to ensure he or she has adequate training. For a list of doctors I've trained, visit www.mesotherapy.com/findadoctor/

For additional information on Mesotherapy, visit www.mesotherapy.com.

While you're visiting, check out the patient warning page www.mesotherapy.com/faq/patient_warning/shtml.

PS - I once wondered how many websites would pop up after "Googling" key words "Mesotherapy pioneer." I found 26,900 websites. Wow! One specialty and so many pioneers. Where were these "pioneers" before the 20/20 broadcast in August 2003?

Mesotherapy Reunites Long Lost Friends (Part 1)

2007-01-24T11:39:00.001-05:00

Before unveiling my Blog, I considered which style to use. Should the writing be technical, academic and thoroughly "professional" (i.e., dry as the Sahara Desert) or entertaining as well as informative (i.e., fun to read).

Eventually, I decided to have fun while offering you the latest news, research and opinions about Mesotherapy and cellulite. In addition, I'll profile some of the best Mesotherapists around the nation. (But don't order yet: there's SO much more!)

Anyway...

Last week, my office manager (Leslie) told me I'd received a call from an old friend (Carl), whom I hadn't seen since high school - 25 years ago! Naturally, I was curious. "What's this all about?" I wondered. Nobody else from Lake Worth High School in Florida had ever contacted me - or even kept in touch.

I first talked with Carl's answering machine, but he returned the call within five minutes. It was great catching up with a long-lost friend. But finally, I had to ask, "Why did you bother tracking me down after all these years?"

After saying, "I wanted you to know that I'm proud of you and your accomplishments" (or words to that effect), he related a frightening tale.

Seems Carl had gained some weight a few years ago, despite the fact that he's an aerobics instructor (poor advertising for his business). Still, he found it difficult to lose those stubborn love handles. Desperate, he underwent liposuction and a tummy tuck. While recovering, however, he developed a Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) in both legs. This is a blood clot that can move to a lung and cause a pulmonary embolism, which can be fatal - even with timely medical intervention. Unfortunately, DVT's and PE's are serious (but rare) complications of liposuction, and - as bad luck would have it - Carl was hospitalized for a pulmonary embolism and placed on blood thinners.

Before the procedure, he'd enjoyed an active lifestyle. After developing the PE, he was placed on bed rest for a week, and became even more sedentary. He was also prohibited from engaging in vigorous activity for six weeks after discharge. Ironically, he started to gain back the very pounds that had been vacuumed off during Liposuction, so he decided to seek other weight-loss alternatives.

Let this be a warning: Liposuction is not without its risks, even when performed by the most capable of surgeons. (I'll continue this story next week.)

For a list of Doctors I have trained please go to www.mesotherapy.com
To purchase The Cellulite Cure please go to www.cellulitecure.com