CINCINNATI, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--According to a recent story reported in the Wall Street Journal, a one-hour facelift company, with more than 40 locations throughout the country, is closing its doors and is speculated to soon file bankruptcy. The article states that the company has been under close scrutiny by the New York Attorney General’s office since 2008, with regards to their advertising claims and accusations that their employees published bogus positive reviews on online review site, in order to counter the negative ones and lure in new business. http://www.wsj.com/articles/lifestyle-lift-shuts-down-most-of-its-business-considers-bankruptcy-1425340363
According to Dr. Jon E. Mendelsohn, Medical Director of Advanced Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Center in Cincinnati, “Physicians in the cosmetic surgery industry have become increasingly concerned about this plastic surgery conglomerate for several years. While the company has invested a good deal of money on their attention-grabbing marketing campaigns, there was little quality control of their product, and it clearly wasn’t helping patients as evidenced from the negative online reviews. In my opinion, without the properly experienced and credentialed plastic facial surgeons, you really can’t call the procedure a “facelift.” Their procedures were performed on a mass scale by a large corporation in 40 different cities and undoubtedly varied widely with regards to the placement of incisions, technique, type of anesthesia used and safety guidelines, producing a wide array of results and many discontented patients.”
Mendelsohn continues, “However, it truly is possible to get lasting results with a minimally invasive facelift performed in less than an hour when you are in the hands of an experienced and accredited facial plastic surgeon,” says Mendelsohn. I began performing the Advanced Lift in 2002, have made some modifications along the way, and have even shared the technique with physicians across the country. Keeping a patient’s safety top of mind, our Advanced Lift offers patients many benefits including a virtually bloodless procedure, performed under local anesthesia in about an hour, and uses much smaller incisions than traditional lifts. By using a technique where we support the underlying SMAS layer beneath the skin, the Advanced Lift produces the longest lasting and most natural results possible, rather than a tight, windblown or pulled back look. I have personally performed more than 3,000 Advanced Facelifts in my career.”
He adds, “Unfortunately, many people still have misconceptions about today’s facelifts, largely due to what they have heard about the facelifts of days gone by, (with lengthy recovery periods and unsightly incisions and scars), or more recently what they have read in the news with regards to these large plastic surgery corporations.”
He continues, “I hope that this most recent breaking news does not discourage patients from seeking out quality medical care from a licensed, accredited and reputable facial plastic surgeon, many who are starting to perform a similar type of one hour facelift using the many of same techniques as we do with our Advanced Facelift, while keeping a patient’s safety top of mind.”
He concludes, “I encourage patients to do their homework and interview several facial plastic surgeons and even talk to their friends prior to undergoing any type of cosmetic procedure.”
According to Mendelsohn, key questions for a patient to ask include:
- How many of these types of procedures have you performed? (Experience does matter.)
- How many years have you been performing this type of procedure?
- Do you specialize in any particular type of procedure or work primarily on certain areas of the body? (Plastic surgeons often have areas of specialty just as any other type of physician does.)
- Am I a good candidate for this type of procedure? (A reputable plastic surgeon will present several alternate options along with an explanation of why this procedure would or would not be well suited to their physique.)
- What are the doctor’s board certifications? (Ask in particular about the American Board of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery (ABFPRS) and American Board of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ABPRS). Dr. Mendelsohn is double board certified by both the ABFPRS and the American Board of Otolaryngology.)
- Is the procedure performed under local or general anesthesia and why? (There are two schools of thought here – but my patients all do very well under local anesthesia – many actually falling asleep during the short procedure. Recovery is faster with no side effects such as excessive drowsiness or nausea as with general anesthesia.)
- Is there any risk of complications from this procedure, and if so what are they? (Side effects should be explained so that the patients can carefully weight in on their options.)
- Where will my incisions be and will they fade with time? (With the Advanced Facelift, incisions are made just inside and underneath the ear lobe and continuing behind the ear and are barely noticeable in time. For those with longer hair, they will not be visible at all.)
- Check patient reviews not only on RealSelf.com, but ask if you may speak directly to any of their patients who have had the same type of procedure performed. (RealSelf is a credible review site where patients post their honest and unedited opinions on their experience and results with their cosmetic surgeons. The physician cannot alter the comments in any way.)
- How long of a recovery can I expect and will I need any type of assistance during this period? (With an Advanced Facelift the dressings come off the very next day after the surgery, and sutures come out in about a week. We ask only that someone be with you for the first 24 hours, and drive you to your first appointment the very next day.)
- Ask to see before and after photos of their actual patients – not something that is posted online on a general plastic surgery website. (Look for real patients and not stock photography.)
- Ask the doctor realistically to show you in a mirror what your expected results could be. (A skilled surgeon will gently pull back the skin and give you a visual image of what your face, eyes, neck or chin will look like when taught or when fat is removed, etc.)
- Go with your gut – do you trust that person and feel confident in them? Sometimes instinct can be one of the most important factors. (A good bedside manner is key – you should feel like your physician is there for you, accessible and ready to answer any questions or concerns that may come up before, during or after your procedure.)
Mendelsohn concludes, “The bottom line is that when you are working on a face, expertise is imperative. Choosing a large corporation with physicians scattered from coast to coast may not be the best solution when it comes to facelift surgery. It requires an individualized approach by a board certified facial plastic surgery specialist who will provide natural looking results for his or her patient in a relatively simple and safe procedure under local anesthesia with shorter incisions, all the while following the proper safety guidelines.”
Credentials below:
Dr. Jon E. Mendelsohn is the Medical Director of Advanced Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Center in Rookwood Office Tower. A renowned specialist in Facial Plastic Surgery, Dr. Mendelsohn is double Board Certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery and also the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery.
In 2009, he was the recipient of the 2009 Patient’s Choice Award, bestowed upon only a select few physicians in the country annually based upon their ratings from patients in the areas of bedside manner, doctor-patient face time, and degree of follow-up. He also received the 2010 “Best In Cincinnati” Award in from the U.S. Commerce Association, and was voted one of Cincinnati’s Top Docs by Cincinnati Magazine in 2013. He is professionally trained in the most advanced techniques in cosmetic surgery and laser procedures and is also licensed to train physicians in Botox techniques. Mendelsohn is also a national Allergan and Medicis facial aesthetics speaker.
Mendelsohn has co-authored several nationally published books – including, The Non-Surgical Facelift Book, Your Complete Guide to Facial Cosmetic Surgery, Your Complete Guide To Facial Rejuvenation and Your Complete Guide to Nose Reshaping. He also recently published the first addition to the new iBook Lift, the first of its kind in the cosmetic surgery industry.
For more information, visit www.351face.com, or call 513-351-FACE.
