Interview With Brazilian Plastic Surgeon Alan Landecker, MD

Visiting Brazil with plastic surgeon Dr. Alan Landecker in his Sao Paulo clinic.

Physician: Alan Landecker, MD
Location: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Website: www.landecker.com.br

That's interesting: In 2005, Alan Landecker, M.D. specialized in primary and secondary rhinoplasty at the University of Texas Southwestern at Dallas, Texas, USA, under Jack P. Gunter, M.D. and Rod J. Rohrich, M.D. For a period of 2 years, he was part of the Adjunct Faculty at the world-renowned Dallas Rhinoplasty Symposium and participated actively in the production of the second edition of the Dallas Rhinoplasty: Nasal Surgery by the Masters book. This book is currently the world´s best-seller in rhinoplasty.

Brazil has some of the busiest plastic surgeons anywhere in the world and it's not uncommon to find those who have been trained in the US.

When did you decide to specialize in plastic surgery?

The attraction began during medical school, when I rotated in the Plastic Surgery Department. The precision, difficulty, and level of detail of the operations enchanted me. However, I believe that an important personality trait (visual attraction to beautiful things) contributed significantly.

Can you tell us more about your clinic and how your staff operates it?

The clinic offers last generation plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures that can be surgical or non-surgical to all age groups. Some of the latter include laser, skin treatments, and postoperative physiotherapy. The clinic is located in one of the most sophisticated areas in São Paulo and is run by professional managers. Most remarkable 'inside' the clinic is the contemporary architecture and interior design, offering patients a unique experience.

The clinic offers IPL for hair removal, dark circles around the eyes, and some vascular lesions. We also have diode laser machines for rejuvenation and hair removal. Our newest machine is a radiofrequency device that is combined with electromagnetic energy. This kind of machine is very popular because splendid body contour is a priority for both men and women in Brazil. So far all of them have worked well for us.

How are you finding staff?

We've had some real issues with staff and due to past problems, we currently hire using only professional headhunters. Although more costly, this increases the chances of getting it right the first time! All staff have top class working conditions and receive a fixed salary plus bonuses depending on how well they perform. The secret is keeping them motivated!

How do you market your clinic?

In terms of marketing, the best is always to do a good job. In other words, the most solid marketing consists of word-of-mouth referrals. Complementary strategies should include a good website with SEO, use of social media, internal programs, and good exposure in the press. If all these are well structured, precise, and especially ethical, good results are inevitable.

What treatments or services are most profitable for you?

Plastic surgical procedures are the most profitable, followed by Botulinum toxin (Botox) and dermal fillers. We are currently developing a high-end aesthetic center to give patients a more complete type of treatment.

What have you learned about practicing cosmetic medicine? What stories can you tell?

The most common situations involve patients who bring tons of photographs of their noses into the consultation. They flog themselves trying to find minute imperfections which are normally invisible to most of us.

On the 'most unusual' side, one patient actually brought the head of a clothing store mannequin to the office, wanting a nose just like that one. As a result, we took the head into the operating room and used it as reference during the rhinoplasty. (Fortunately, the patient was extremely satisfied with the final outcome!)

What advice would you give to other physicians?

Based on my experience, it is very important to get the best training possible and preferably in something that no other surgeon performs. That will necessarily include tremendous dedication and inevitable sacrifices but you just can't succeed if you only do what everyone else does and you don't have a reputation for being the best at something specific.

Physicians must always be ethical and honest, keeping in mind that the most important outcome is patient satisfaction. In other words, never make decisions based on financial factors instead of doing what is best for the patient.

About: Alan Landecker, M.D. is a member of the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery and the the prestigious International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS).

Dr. Landecker obtained his medical degree and general surgery training at the University of São Paulo Medical School, Brazil. He was then trained in plastic surgery at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro and the Ivo Pitanguy Clinic, where he worked directly with Professor Ivo Pitanguy for 3 years.

After passing the ECFMG/USMLE examinations, Alan Landecker, M.D., spent a total of 2 years refining his plastic surgical training in the USA. During this period, he participated in clinical rotations, Research Fellowships, and Clinical Fellowships with some of the country's best surgeons at the Universities of Miami, Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Pittsburgh, New York (NYU) and Texas Southwestern.

This interview is part of a series of interviews of physicians running medical spas, laser clinics and cosmetic surgery centers. If you'd like to be interviewed, just contact us.

Cynosure hair removal lasers + service

Buying used cosmetic lasers can be tricky.

For those of you that have had problems with Cynosure there is help, for those that do not or have not had problems you are lucky.  Not all of Cynosure service department is bad, there are a few good technicians and some that are just there for a job. 

Cynosure hair removal lasers are very good if maintained properly.  There are few things that you must be aware of:

1. Flash lamp pulses on the Cynosure: Do not go over 1 million on the yag and 750,000 on the alex.
2. Keep track of your voltage: Do not run the laser over 820v, this could lead to pump chamber failures and blown power supplies.  These will be very expensive repairs.
3. Inspect your hand pieces every time you use them, making sure that there are not large pits and / or burn spots inside.  Keep your windows clean and change frequently.  If your hand piece is getting hot during use, then you have problems with it, and the hand piece needs to be checked.

If you are thinking of having your Cynosure laser service by a third party company, just remember not everyone can work on them, even some of the manufacture’s technician have problems working on them. There are many after market parts available as well but you get what you pay for. Would you take your Mercedes to Bob’s Auto for service?  I know of only a couple technician outside of Cynosure who can repair them.  We make sure that you get what you would expect from the manufacture.   

If you are thinking of purchasing a used Cynosure laser or other cosmetic laser, please have a technician that knows the laser look at it for you before you put any money down.  Would you buy a used car from a fly by night dealer without having your mechanic look at it? I have seen and heard every nightmare you could think of, I have also seen some very good deals.  I had a lady call me that purchased a laser that had blown the power supply on it 2 weeks after purchasing the laser.  That same laser was about to be sold to a customer of mine that wanted me to help him find a laser.  I told him that this laser in poor shape and that it would need very costly repairs.  I was not surprised when the lady called me and gave me the serial number of the laser.  It does not cost to get a second opinion on something that could save you in the long run. 

When it comes to Cynosure, Candela and Deka lasers if you are having problems or need support please feel free to contact us at Integrity Laser Inc.

Note: The above is a guest post from Integrity Laser. If you would like to write for Medical Spa MD please contact Medical Spa MD here.

Do it yourself laser hair removal... Unhappy medical spas?

The're are a growing number of 'home laser hair removal' devices appearing on the market. This article on do it yourself laser hair removal supposes that medical spas and laser clinics are feeling the heat.

Want to get rid of some unsightly hair, but don’t want to spend the big bucks for electrolysis or a laser clinic? Now, you can buy your own laser and do it yourself.

And people are.

The growth of the at-home cosmetic-device market, which includes personal lasers, has some professionals buzzing. At an annual conference hosted by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Barry DiBernardo, a New Jersey surgeon, delivered a talk in Seattle about the pros and cons of the DIY market on the ASPS’s “Hot Topics” panel.

“We have to make sure that the patients are getting good, safe treatments. If they are getting good, safe treatments, then whether they are doing it at home or not, I’m not as worried,” DiBernardo told Wired.com by phone. “What I’m worried about is that they are seeing things in the Skymall on the airplane and spending hundreds of dollars, thousands of dollars on something that is not going to work or is unproven.”

New cosmetic medical devices including DIY lasers are expected to explode into a $1.3 billion market 2013, up from just $296 million in 2008, according to the analyst group Medical Insights. The growth in the market appears to be coming from light-based products that claim to either remove or grow hair on the human body. The Silk’n Hair was the first at-home laser device to be approved by the FDA, in 2006, although it didn’t come on the market until early 2008.

The laser hair removers damage the hair follicles that are in their growth phase, generally leading to some permanent reductions of body hair. DiBernardo questioned whether the lasers used in the home devices were powerful enough to get the kind of results that clinics achieve.

“In general, these devices are low-powered versions of the doctor versions. We’ve been doing hair removal since 1998, so we know that they work and how well they do,” he said. “I think these home devices have some effect, but they legally can’t have the power of what we fire at people.”

From nother nice post from Wired:

My own experience is that people looking to do it yourself home laser hair removal (or skin tightening or complexion light-based photo-therapies) are really looking to save money and are buying a device in the hope that it will work. Patients who are actually interested in laser hair removal or skin tightening are put off by these types of home remedies. I've never heard that a laser clinc or medical spa is suffering from this, but I may be wrong.

Does anyone running a medical spa or laser hair removal clinc feel differently? Is laser hair removal at a medspa moving to home laser hair remvoal that a do it yourself laser treatment?

IPL & Lasers from China

I've certainly been getting a lot of IPL & cosmetic laser companies from China contacting me lately trying to get on the site.

I haven't seen one yet that claims FDA approval for their lasers. Does anyone with a laser clinic or medical spa outside the US have experience using lasers or IPLs from China? Are lasers or IPLs a workable solution for clinics in Europe or Asia?

Im guessing that a very large majority of the componants that are used by Palomar, Cutera, or Thermage are manufactured in China already.

The Medical Spa Aesthics Training Course & Study Guide for medspas & laser clinics.

The Medical Spa Aesthetics Training Course & Study Guide for Medspas, Laser Clinics & Cosmetic Medical Practices.

NOW AVAILABLE!

Written by Paula D. Young, RN, the Advanced Medical Spa Esthetics Training Course & Study Guide is a two part learning cirriculum for non-physicians. The course is delivered in two parts that include a text book and a study guide.

This is an invaluable tool for any Laser Center, Med Spa, Plastic Surgery or Cosmetic Dermatology practice to train every new medical spa staff member on what cosmetic proceedures you offer, how they work, and what alternatives there are.

This study course is being used in medical esthetic schools and leading medical spas and laser clinics to provide every new esthetician and laser tech with a study course, and test their knowledge before they're hired.

For the first time, your laser clinic or medspa staff has the latest information on the newest nonsurgical medical treatments, from Botox, Restylane, and the newest filler injections, to fractional CO2 laser resurfacing and IPL treatments.

Your medical spa staffs knowledge and expertise is a critical componant to your success. Now you can be confident that your front desk, estheticians and laser technicians have the information that they need, and can answer patient questions with confidence.

Memberswill only be available to existing Medical Spa MD Members so be sure that you've signed up for your free membership.

IPL & Cosmetic Laser Rental

IPL or Cosmetic Laser Rentals?

If you're looking to advertise (or find) an IPL rental or cosmetic laser to rent, please post that under the medical spa classifieds rather than just stick them in a comment thread somewhere.

It's becomming popular in some areas to rent a laser or IPL from someone else. (This is the defacto method in Brazil where import taxes make cosmetic laser extremely expensive. Brazilian plastic surgeons and derms schedule all of their patients at a location and they and the patients go there for the treatments.)

Anyway, there have been a number of offers to rent a laser or IPL showing up in diverse threads and forums. I'd appreciate it if you have some sort of offer or need around laser renting, if you'd post that in the med spa classified area. Your laser listing will get more traffic there and won't be disrupting other discussions.

Thank you. The Management.