Many aestheticians coming from the day spa industry into the medical spa environment have to learn a whole new way of documentation as a client now transforms into a patient.
Aestheticians who are used to time and date stamping treatments with occasional side or progress notes, now are expected to chart everything they say and do during a patient's treatment. Along with charting comes treatment consent forms, HIPPA Forms, photography consent forms, payment agreement forms, anatomical charting forms, etc.
Medical Aestheticians who have any contact with a patient as any part of their treatment, should be charting everything from follow-up calls, to topical treatments used and the patient's response, to laser settings, test patch tests, follow up appointments, and the patient's tolerances to treatments.
As a new medical aesthetician, your day spa 'client' files have now been transformed into a legal medical records which could need to stand up in a court of law. Some new medical aestheticians I have spoken with have not yet learned to correctly chart and feel they should not be required to.
Why is it patient charting so important? Unfortunately, there have been more recent horror stories hitting the media than stories of healing and hope, especially when it comes to medical spa therapies that involve lasers and IPLs. These circumstances are a catalyst of change to medical laser laws across the U.S. Whether the MD is on site or off site, they (along with the medical esthetician) can be held responsible for any legal implications filed by a patient at the hands of a clinician, laser technician, or medical Esthetician.
While it may seem harsh, even the most skilled and brilliant esthetician should be terminated if they refuse to properly chart and document a patient's care. The rule of thumb is just this... if you didn't chart it, it didn't happen.
If you're a medical esthetician performing medical treatments it's up to you to know what your medical spas requirements are around patient charting and what potential problems exist if you fail to live up to these new requirements.
Medical Spa MD is a medical community of Plastic Surgeons, Cosmetic Dermatologists, and Aesthetic Physicians with more than 4,200 medical spa members. Medical Spa MD offers wholesale Botox online and offers information on nonsurgical cosmetic medical technologies and treatments.
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October 17 2009 | Cosmetic Surgery | No Comments »
by Karen Strand
With all the advertisements about liposculpture, laser liposuction and any other form of body sculpting, people think that the procedures are totally safe and free from any risk. They also believe that it is quick and painless. In fact, there are even claims that you can undergo the procedure under local anesthesia, lose the fats, tighten your skin and get back to your routine the same day. If this was as easy as they claim it to be, everyone would have tried it.
While it is a fact that laser liposuction is a breakthrough in the plastic surgery industry, not to mention it is more recommended than other surgical procedures, nothing will change the truth that it is still a surgical procedure that involves potential complications and risks.
Most of the laser liposuction risks are those similar to the ones gained from the traditional lipo procedure. With the association of laser, the heat can cause some problems. For instance, if the laser is prolonged near the skin, thermal injury or skin burns may be acquired.
One of the many laser liposuction risks is skin loss. Yes, if a surgeon uses the laser too aggressively in an area, the overlying skin may be damaged or lost. Real precision and expertise is key to achieving success in laser lipo. Skin burn is also a risk, but this occurrence is very rare if you have a good surgeon.
Another risk, and very common, is infection. Infection can be caused by any form of invasive equipment. Since the laser is inserted beneath the skin, antibiotic coverage and operating room precautions are a must. Anesthetic risks can also occur during the course of laser liposuction. There are numerous deaths during or after suction body and liposculpture procedures that were instigated by lidocaine overdose. Lidocaine is the anesthetic that is used to relieve pain during the liposuction procedure.
Contour deformities are also among the possible laser liposuction risks. Deformities such as depressions, bumps, wavy lines and lumps in the skin appear 20% of the time in the standard lipo procedure. But with laser liposuction, the 20% decreases. Another problem is the loose skin, particularly for those patients with poor skin elasticity. Loose skin is very common for a standard lipo operation. However, in laser lipo, loose skin is not that common, since the procedure is known for tightening the skin. If you have an inexperienced doctor, then this risk can definitely occur.
And last but not the least is the complication done by an inexperienced plastic surgeon. A professional is the only one credible enough to handle the equioments and procedures needed in surgery. If you want satisfactory results, then you should get a professional surgeon.
Most of these laser liposuction risks are natural. But all these risks may be lessened or totally eliminated when you choose a surgeon that has the right tools, skills and experience. You should do your homework and find out just how credible your potential performing surgeon is before you choose to undergo through him.
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July 29 2009 | Liposuction | No Comments »