For the third consecutive time since opening, we have received certification of our Surgery Center and Clinic by Medicare and the American Association of Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF). This is not a small feat. Many large, heavily staffed surgery centers falter and many deficiencies are found by the surveyors, requiring sometimes major, hugely expensive, changes to the physical makeup of the ASC to be made before a re-inspection will be performed.

We passed the first part, the on-site Life Safety Inspection in under two hours (the inspecting engineer was wowed by our facilities – “like new”). The actual Medicare / AAAASF survey was an all-day affair, with deep deep records review, inspection of our operating manuals, and interviews with the staff. A white glove walkaround. And then: (gulp!!) both surveyors watched me and my staff operate on patients all day. It was fun, surprisingly. The doctors selected to be Medicare / AAAASF surveyors are fellow surgeons, and their personalties were professional but positive and pleasant.

We passed the Medicare inspection on the first try too. For the third time in seven years. To be accurate, the surveyors at the end stipulated that we change the language in a couple of documents in our manuals. But they too were highly complimentary of our operations, our staff, and our facility.

I am grateful to my staff for working tightly together on this very important part of Downey Plastic Surgery. Accreditation by Medicare is synonymous with a level of quality and safety that we believe our patients are entitled to.

We are proud to partner with ACLS Certification.com to maintain ACLS certification of all life safety-critical providers at Downey Plastic Surgery.

It is an honor to be selected again (10th time!) as a Top Doctor in Seattle Met’s, Seattle Magazine, and Puget Sound Consumer Checkbook’s annual rankings. Nearly 4,000 doctors in the Seattle metropolitan area participated in our new and improved survey, the result of a partnership between Seattle Met and Avvo.com. Avvo rates and profiles 90 percent of doctors in the U.S., including every doctor in Washington State.

The 2012 survey is more comprehensive than ever, with active participation from almost 40 percent of doctors practicing in King, Kitsap, and Snohomish counties, and parts of Pierce County. Avvo’s proprietary algorithms rate doctors on a 10-point scale, employing not only peer endorsements but factors such as experience, education, training, disciplinary history, fellowships, hospital privileges, and awards. Avvo’s dynamic ratings of the 9,933 doctors in the survey area are regularly refreshed based on new information gleaned from doctors as well as from certifying and licensing boards. The doctors Seattle Met selects represent the top 5 percent of practitioners in their fields. The survey asked fellow doctors to name the colleagues they would choose to treat themselves and their loved ones. The resulting list of the top practitioners in their fields is presented alphabetically by specialty and alphabetically by last name.

The nice thing about this method of Top Doc selection is that it cannot be purchased, and is strongly influenced by objective measurements like training in genuine ABMS specialties like Plastic Surgery (not “cosmetic surgery” or “facial plastic surgery” or “oculoplastics”), and number and favor of patient reviews.

I am blessed to have such a terrific occupations and to have the chance to care for many enthusiastic patients!

dd

How does breast reduction influence bra size?  (from RealSelf.com)

Hello,

Most colleague plastic surgeons will waffle on this seemingly simple question, myself included. I specifically state that the purpose of breast reduction is reduction in symptoms, such as chronic back neck and shoulder pain & rashes underneath the breasts, not a specific bra size.

The amount of breast tissue and excess skin taken away and their influence on bra size vary according to the tissue itself as well as the overall shape and dimension of the chest wall underneath the breasts.

As many patients will attest, the operation is generally quite successful in improving symptoms when they (the breasts) are the culprits involved in excess loading of the back neck and shoulders.

I usually reassure patients that purchasing bras “off the rack” will be easier after the operation even if they remain relatively full breasted.

Good luck in your pursuit of improved comfort and mobility!

Dan Downey MD FACS

Downey Plastic Surgery

Seattle, WA

Hello and Happy Summer!

This month marks the beginning of a change in direction for the blog.

I will be cross posting Twitter feeds, Facebook postings, and RealSelf.com answers to plastic surgery questions right here.

Check out the wider and fresher variety of postings.

But don’t forget to log off and go outside and play too.

dd