Having a Little Work Done (at the Mall)

It still blows me away when I read articles like this....There is so much suffering amongst the billions of people living outside of the U.S. People who can only expect to live to 40 or 50; people--children who die daily because they can't get access to basic medical care. The other side of this is that some patients in America will want this sort of esoteric treatment and happily pay for it. Yet they will be unhappy to pay their copay for a procedure that may save them from blindness. This cosmetic surgery trend brings out the worse in many ways in our healthcare system...It makes me wonder what exactly are "our" priorities...

ANDREW RUDNICK snickered when he first saw a medical spa offering Botox and laser hair-removal services on a visit to a Las Vegas mall in 2002. He laughed at the thought of someone — anyone — shopping for the latest fashions, grabbing a bite to eat and then, oh yeah, strolling in for a quick shot of Botox to zap out a nasty wrinkle.
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Nonsurgical treatments “are effective, they’re safe and they’re affordable — and there’s no down time,” said Dr. Foad Nahai, a plastic surgeon in Atlanta and president of the society.

Some doctors’ offices are joining in. In New York, Dr. Bruce K. Moskowitz, an ophthalmologist and oculofacial plastic surgeon, says demand on the cosmetic side of his business has skyrocketed, to 50 percent of his business, from 25 percent 15 years ago. To meet demand, he opened a medspa in his office; patients in the waiting room can read brochures about Botox and fillers when they come in for eye checkups.