Dallas Doctor Refutes Wall Street Journal on Plastic Surgery

by Gregory S

In Texas, everything is big, even confutations of purported misinformation. Dallas plastic surgeon Dr. Fred Hackney has taken to his personal blog to offer a rebuttal to a recent article published by the Wall Street Journal concerning his profession of plastic surgeon.

Dr. Fred’s blog post, entitled, "Dr. Fred Hackney On '10 Things Plastic Surgeons Won't Tell You'" is a response to article published in the Wall Street Journal back in early November. According to Dr. Fred, "I have to say that the Journal's article gives a shallow treatment of some of the points it makes. I worry that casual readers will finish it feeling a bit cynical about plastic surgery, and that's not entirely fair."

The good doctor does concede that the article presents some compelling points, but ultimately feels that their reasons require more reasoning. For example, Dr. Fred takes umbrage over the concept of plastic surgery discounts. According to the Wall Street Journal, “With social media sites handing out cosmetic-treatment discounts like candy, it's easy to get caught up in bargain-hunting for Botox.” Dr. Fred has a difference of opinion. “I disagree with the implication that discounts are an inherently bad thing," says Dr. Hackney. "It is not uncommon for plastic surgeons to offer discounts for procedures such as a facelift or breast augmentation, and many patients look for these around holidays like Christmas or Valentines Day."

The Dallas doctor also thinks that patient’s state of health and general wellbeing are his primary concerns. Operating on a person without evaluating whether they are physically and emotionally fit for the procedure is an ethics violation for national plastic surgery societies like the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, and Dr. Fred takes that very seriously. “Most plastic surgeons have a genuine interest in ensuring their patient have the best care."

Lastly, Dr. Fred is concerned with the Wall Street Journal’s apparent lack of emphasis on the value of board-certification. The article insinuates that certification boards are self-regulating and, therefore, not effective: “Any medical doctor can legally perform any cosmetic procedure, without obtaining any specific certification”. Actually, board certification is critical in establishing a surgeon’s qualifications in their respective field. “I worry that many people will read the first part and take away a negative impression of board certification, regardless of what the rest of the article states," says Dr. Hackney.

Incidentally, Dr. Fred Hackney has been certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. He is additionally a member of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

To read the full rebuttal to the Wall Street Journal article, visit Dr. Hackney's blog at http://www.drhackney.net/blog.To read the Wall Street Journal article, visit http://online.wsj.com/home-page.