Fatal Attraction: When Little Lies Become A Big Problem In Doctor-Patient Relationships
We all know the penalties of cheating…of dodging a chance to come clean, of avoiding that chance to have a dialog that’s a two-way street, of shading the truth – we think tweaking the story just a little bit won’t hurt our partner or maybe we shrug off our behavior, thinking what they don’t know won’t hurt them. Well, the thing is, being deceitful can hurt you – even kill you. Little lies can become big especially when a medical procedure like aesthetic surgery enters the picture.
Having been caught in the crossfire of duplicity lately, GOALS Aesthetics surgery team of board-certified plastic surgeons is speaking up, committing to a goal of their own: becoming a powerful voice advocating full honesty in doctor-patient relationships. Seeking to educate patients, and the community as caregivers too have a valuable stake. We want to erase any stigma that may linger, prohibiting us from talking candidly to the very people who want us be whole, be healthy, be beautiful. It becomes a fatal attraction then when we’re drawn to the procedures that can enhance our lives yet we disregard the implicit truth required of a patient-doctor relationship.
Naturally today, body shapes are influenced by pop culture, we want the look we see on TV’s hottest celebrities, pouty lips, a bootylicious rear, a hunky action star’s six pack or Barbie’s curves. Our highly skilled, exceptionally professional team at GOALS is called upon to create such shapes on real people. We do so successfully, accessibly fulfilling today’s beauty goals with great attention to safety as well as aesthetics. Yet as the tabloids are quick to share, there are hazards connected to these procedures resulting, more often than not, from a patient disguising the truth to their medical team.
We may never fully understand what motivates a patient to take it upon themselves to up a dosage or take a narcotic that’s not administered by a physician. And the tabloids are quick to blame the doctors involved, an easier scapegoat than the patient who chooses to listen to others rather than adhering specifically to the protocols laid out by their surgical team. Certainly, we at GOALS celebrate individuality and diversity, but if there is one critical element we pride ourselves on, it’s open communication. We are always available to listen to our patients, to address their concerns, to assure that they understand not only the procedure but equally valuable, the post-surgical protocols we are recommending.
Safety first is our mantra at GOALS. Our patients’ health and well-being is our No. 1 concern. Yet oddly enough, some patients are so determined to march to a different drummer, that what we are advising them can go in one ear and out the other without the team at GOALS being the wiser. And the result of such independent and ill-advised thinking can be tragic. We strive to do our best to assure each patient a long and healthy life with aesthetic enhancement offering them a richer, more rewarding chapter. But when communication unknowingly falters, we still have to find a way through, a way to assure there is no need to fear or worry about judgment, no obstacle to prevent sharing the truth. How then do we find this way, the path of implicit trust? That is the puzzle we at GOALS are setting out to help solve.
It is our intention to fully address the life-changing importance of truthfulness before and after a medical procedure. Patient education is critical. Do patients choose not to reveal all because of fear? Are they worried a Doctor sworn to do no harm will judge them? Or are they just isolated by their own beliefs and unwilling to take professional advice? Whatever the rationale, the patient needs to be able to place a value on openness and realize that there are worse consequences from not sharing than there are from revealing all.
By Lori Zelenko
