#64 - Zol Kryger, M.D.: Navigating the sometimes shady world of plastic surgery—understanding potential complications of common procedures and how to reduce your risk by choosing the right doctor and asking the right questions

Jul 29, 2019

Zol Kryger, a board-certified plastic surgeon with expertise in facial rejuvenation and breast enhancements, dives into the murky waters of plastic surgery regulations. He uncovers the alarming trend of non-certified practitioners performing high-risk procedures. Listeners are equipped with essential questions to ask potential surgeons and learn about common procedures like breast augmentation and tummy tucks, along with their complications. Zol emphasizes the critical need for informed choices to reduce risks in this often misunderstood field.

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INSIGHT

Non-Certified Surgeons

Most plastic surgery (90-95%) in the US isn't performed by board-certified plastic surgeons.
Legally, any physician with an MD can perform any procedure, creating a concerning situation.

ADVICE

Choosing a Surgeon

Ask about board certification, malpractice history, and specific training in the desired procedure.
Inquire about complication rates, management plans, hospital privileges, and patient referrals.

ANECDOTE

Price Over Qualification

Zol Kryger's nurse chose a less qualified, cheaper surgeon despite witnessing Kryger's expertise.
This highlights how price often outweighs qualifications in patients' decision-making.

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In this episode, board-certified plastic surgeon, Zol Kryger, enlightens us about the frighteningly loose laws regulating the industry of plastic surgery, paving the way for a majority of cosmetic procedures being performed by doctors that are not board-certified plastic surgeons. We talk about some of the very serious complications that can occur even in “minimally invasive” procedures, where the incidence rate is only increased by the flood of non-certified doctors who want to offer these procedures to augment their income. Fortunately, Zol provides listeners with a very specific list of important questions to ask a surgeon when considering any of the many cosmetic procedures available. We then go into the specifics of the most common procedures and the risk of complications for each of them, including breast augmentation, tummy tucks, liposuction, Brazilian butt lifts, botox and fillers, facial peels and lasers, and more. By the end of this episode, you'll have a really clear understanding of what these risks are and how you can go about reducing those risks by choosing the right physician.

We discuss:

Why Zol chose plastic surgery [7:30];
The shockingly high percentage of plastic surgery being done by non-board certified doctors, and the laws that allow it to happen [11:20];
10 Questions to Ask Your Cosmetic Surgeon (PDF Download) [21:00];
Complications: Why you must ask your doctor about potential complications and how they would deal with them [24:20];
Zol’s first complication, how he dealt with it, and how having a partner to check your work is great for the doctor and patient [32:30];
Breast augmentation: What you need to know—types of implants, complication rates, and Zol’s summary of the safest and most effective way to do it [39:10];
Breast reconstruction following a mastectomy [1:06:30];
Tummy tuck: How it’s done, biggest risks involved, scarring, and how it can address hernias and diastasis [1:13:00];
Liposuction: How it works, the potential complications and risks involved, and the importance of choosing the right doctor in the “wild west” of liposuction [1:26:45];
Butt lifts: Rising popularity, major risks, the frighteningly loose laws regulating the industry, and how the butt lift industry is eerily similar to the subprime mortgage crisis [1:37:00];
What is it about plastic surgery (and not other segments of medicine) that compels (and allows for) untrained doctors to offer these procedures? [1:49:45];
Peter asks Zol if he ever feels emotionally conflicted working in an industry that sometimes can feed off the vanity and insecurity of people [1:56:25];
Does Zol ever turn down patients? [2:02:45];
The risks involved with botox, fillers, facial peels, and laser treatments [2:07:45]; and
More.

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