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Frequently Asked Questions
1) What should I look for in a cosmetic surgeon?
2) How much does surgery cost?
3) Does Dr. Joshua Halpern have hospital privileges?
4) Is Dr. Joshua Halpern board certified?
5) How many years has he been practicing?
6) Is there a consultation fee and how quickly
can I make an appointment?
7) Can you send me information on the procedure
that interests me?
8) Does Dr. Halpern operate in his office? Does
he utilize an anesthesiologist?
9) How long will I be out of commission?
10) Does Dr. Joshua Halpern have before-and-after
pictures to view?
11) Is financing available?
12) What is mini-scar or endoscopic plastic surgery...?
13) What questions should I ask my surgeon?
1) What should I look for in a cosmetic
surgeon?
Answer: There is only one specialty for plastic surgery. These
are physicians who underwent one of the longest training residencies
in existence today. They are certified by the American Board of
Plastic Surgery and are members of the American Society of Plastic
Surgeons. There are other physicians who call themselves plastic
surgeons who have not undergone the thorough training of real
plastic surgeons. They may take weekend courses and add "cosmetic"
or "plastic" to their specialties. If you want to make
sure they are real board certified plastic surgeons, you can call
toll free 1-800-635-0635.
2) How much does surgery cost?
Answer: The most important question is how good is the surgeon?
Is he or she going to take their time and give you the best result
possible, or is that person interested in performing the operation
as fast as possible so they can perform more surgeries in a day?
Ask yourself "Do I want the best result possible or do I
save a buck or two on a "slash-and-dash" surgeon, and
suffer the consequences with a less- than- favorable result or
worse?" Remember, you have to wear the result the rest of
your life. Many people will choose the plastic surgeon who has
the best results to operate on them.
Is this surgeon a real plastic surgeon and is he or she certified
by the American Board of Plastic Surgery? Many doctors want to
perform plastic surgery but many do not undergo the rigors of
the appropriate and certified training program. Only real plastic
surgeons who are board certified by the above medical board are
trained to perform cosmetic surgery from "head to toe."
If they do not specifically have a board certificate with the
above exact board then they are not a true cosmetic and reconstructive
plastic surgeon. The best way to find out is to call the following
phone number, (888) 475-2784, and ask if that doctor is board
certified in cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. If they
are not, the chances are good that they are a "plastic surgeon
wannabe." Do you really want someone like that to operate
on you?
Ask your friends if they had a good experience with a particular
plastic surgeon. Cosmetic surgery can be very rewarding for the
patient, but it is important for you to choose one with good skills.
Let's face it-- you have to live with the results.
Now getting to the answer of your question on cost. Many surgeons
are in a similar ballpark when it comes to cost. Fees depend upon
the type of surgery that the patient is having. In addition, certain
fees may change depending on the size of the patient because more
work and time may be involved. Where fees do vary quite a bit
is in the anesthesia OR fees (ie the fees charged for the delivery
of the anesthesia) and for the use of the operating room and fees
toward paying the operating room staff, etc. Some surgeons cut
costs by performing the surgery in their offices. These surgical
suites can be anything from very rudimentary, utilizing outdated
equipment, or they can be stat- o- the-art surgical facilities.
Some surgeons, in addition to performing the surgery, also administer
the anesthesia. In this way they cut the costs to the patient,
but do you want your surgeon to concentrate fully on the surgery,
rather than do two jobs (ie surgery and being the anesthesiologist)?
Would you prefer someone else to solely concentrate and monitor
you while they administer the anesthesia? Some surgeons utilize
a nurse to give the anesthesia while others utilize a real doctor
anesthesiologist.
So ask yourself, do you want a rinky-dink surgical suite or a
state-of-the-art center? Do you want top-notch anesthesia for
when you go to sleep, or would you rather go for something less?
This is where the costs differ, but are they worth it? In my opinion,
absolutely.
Many patients undergoing cosmetic surgery with the right surgeon,
and in the right environment, have very good experiences.
Feel free to go to our "testimonial" section of our
website to learn more. You should base your decision on who you
feel will give you the best result because you will have to wear
it for the rest of your life.
3) Does Dr. Joshua Halpern have hospital
privileges?
Answer: Yes. Dr Halpern is on staff at St Joseph Hospital, Town
and Country Hospital, Memorial Hospital and Tampa General Hospital.
Another good way to find out if your surgeon is a real plastic
surgeon is to call the medical staff office at that hospital and
ask them if that doctor is in the department of plastic surgery.
4) Is Dr. Joshua Halpern board certified?
Answer: Yes. It is very important to know by which board the
surgeon is certified. There are a number of boards that other
doctors call "bogus" boards. For this reason it is important
to know what is a board, who is it recognized by, and why is it
important to you? The American Board of Specialties oversees various
specialty boards, e.g. Cosmetic and Reconstructive Plastic Surgery,
Orthopedic Surgery, Otolaryngology (often referred to as ears,
nose and throat), etc. These boards are responsible for making
sure that there are adequate training programs, which are reviewed
from time to time to ensure that they are up to standards. Then
they administer a written, and in the case of Cosmetic and Reconstructive
Plastic Surgery, an oral exam to those physicians who have
successfully completed there approved training programs. Once
those surgeons successfully pass their examinations, they are
certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
As one of Dr Joshua Halpern’s patients told him, "If
my car does not run, I am not going to ask my gardener to fix it.
If I am going to have cosmetic surgery, I want to make sure
that I have a real plastic surgeon."
5) How many years has he been practicing?
Answer: Dr. Joshua Halpern finished his training in plastic surgery
in New York in June 1989. He has been practicing in Tampa, Florida,
as a plastic surgeon since July 1989.
6) Is there a consultation fee and how
quickly can I make an appointment?
Answer: The consultation is complimentary. If you would like
to make an appointment you can either call Dr. Joshua Halpern’s
office at (813) 872-2696 or go to the "Contact Us" section
of our website. In addition, if you would like to be seen earlier
or on a different date you can make an appointment to sit down
with one of Dr. Joshua Halpern’s medical assistants. Here
you can watch a video from our library on the type of procedure
that interests you, view before and after pictures of those procedures,
and ask questions of our medical staff. You can still see the
doctor on his next available appointment date if you so desire.
7) Can you send me information on the
procedure that interests me?
Answer: Yes, we will be happy to. You have a couple options.
Feel free to go to the photo gallery section of our website where
you can learn more. If you would like a brochure to be sent to
you, please contact us here. Finally, feel free to call our office
at (813) 872-2696.
8) Does Dr. Halpern operate in his office?
Does he utilize an anesthesiologist?
Answer: Dr Joshua Halpern performs most of his surgeries in his
state-of-the-art certified operating room. Many of the sophisticated
pieces of equipment, instruments, and lasers are not available
at many local area hospitals. In addition, the person who administers
the anesthesia is a doctor anesthesiologist. Dr. Halpern's many
patients enjoy the luxury, comfort, discretion, and privacy provided
by this environment. In addition, Dr Joshua Halpern is an inspector
for the American Association of Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgical
Facilities.
9) How long will I be out of commission?
Answer: This depends upon the individual and the type of surgery
being performed. Dr. Joshua Halpern does utilize The Finesse Technique
in his operations. With this technique, bleeding, bruising, and
pain are kept to a minimum when compared to other techniques.
Recovery is quicker. Many of his breast enlargement and liposuction
patients go back to work in four days. Many of his facelift, endoscopic
brow lift, tummy tuck, breast lift and reduction, and blepharoplasty
patients state that pain is not an issue after surgery. (Feel
free to go to the testimonial section of our website.) Of course,
individuals are different in how quickly they recover, how much,
if any, pain and bruising they will experience after surgery,
but with the finesse technique these tend to be significantly
reduced. Regardless of what surgery you have, Dr. Joshua Halpern
insists that his patients avoid lifting, exercise, and strenuous
physical activity for two to three weeks after surgery (depending on
the type of procedure the patient has).
10) Does Dr. Joshua Halpern have before-and-after
pictures to view?
Answer: Yes. Feel free to browse the photo gallery section of
our website. You can also view additional photographs in his office.
11) Is financing available?
Answer: Yes. Feel free to discuss this with our office manger
at the time of your consultation.
12) What is mini-scar or endoscopic plastic
surgery, and why is it important to me?
Answer: These operations are performed through small incisions
using television cameras. Advantages include smaller scars, less
bleeding, less bruising, less discomfort, quicker healing, and
quicker recovery. These procedures are employed for facial, breast,
and tummy operations. Dr. Joshua Halpern is one of the most experienced
plastic surgeons in employing this technique. He has invented
instruments and techniques and has lectured and trained plastic surgeons
nationally and internationally.
13) What questions should I ask my surgeon?
Answer: You want to feel comfortable with your surgeon. Does
he or she take the time to understand your needs and goals? Questions
I have been asked by my patients during the consultation have
included:
· Do you have good hands? (i.e. in regards to technique
and precision)
· Do you perform the surgery and sew up the incision or
does someone else (like a non physician surgical assistants) do
it?
· Do you specialize in cosmetic or reconstructive surgery?
· Are you a real plastic surgeon or do you specialize
in some other specialty (e.g.: dermatology, otolaryngology, oral
surgery?).
· Can I see some examples of your work? (i.e.: pictures)
· Where do you perform your surgery?
14) What’s new in plastic surgery?
Education is very important when making decisions about surgery.
At our practice, we offer videos, brochures, individualized computer
generated surgical programs, and most importantly - our time.
Dr. Halpern promotes several “leading edge” procedures
at our Tampa, Florida, center, including:
• Millennium Facelift (developed by Dr
Joshua Halpern): The minimally invasive, smaller scarring, quicker
recovery, and less bruising procedure to rejuvenate your face.
• Endoscopic Mini Scar plastic surgery
for the face, breasts, and tummy tuck plastic surgery dramatically
reduces scarring and minimizes blood loss and recovery time.
• Ultrasonic Assisted Liposuction melts
the fat away with minimal loss of blood and quicker healing.
• Laser Resurfacing and Skin Rejuvenation
minimizes fine wrinkles on patients over the age of 30. Using
the new Erbium Laser, patients heal much fast than with the CO
2 laser.
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