From the Corner Office
Continuing Medical Education (CME) is more than just a requirement for physicians to keep up with the latest developments in their chosen field or fulfill state requirements to maintain their medical license. It is an opportunity to get professionally revitalized. Now that we are back to meeting in person, it is also a time to reconnect with colleagues throughout the world and share good times and good ideas. Having just returned from the 7th Biennial Caribbean Facial Plastic Surgery Update: CME Meeting, I feel intellectually stimulated and grateful that I pursued a career that gets me just as excited today as it did 34 years ago when I first started my surgical training. I also recognize that as a practice, Marietta Facial Plastic Surgery, Laser & Aesthetics Center remains on the leading edge of the field, particularly in the area of facial aesthetics.
I once heard a cautionary statement that says “beware the surgeon who just returns from a conference.” The implication is that he or she will want to try some of the new techniques they just learned about, and you don’t want to be their first patient to get the latest and greatest procedure. I do think that there is a modicum of truth to that admonition, particularly with young surgeons still in the “figuring it out” phase of their careers. Young doctors are still trying to figure out what techniques work best in their hands; they are first learning “how to,” and with more experience “when to” while senior surgeons know “when not to.” As I look in the mirror at my gray beard and thinning hair, I know which category I unmistakably belong to. However, after every meeting, I always leave with several new pearls of wisdom, though after more than 25 years in practice, I rarely leave with a new, radically different approach to addressing common clinical challenges. With seniority comes the confidence and experience to know what approaches work best in your hands.
So, if you are concerned about facial aging, looking tired, a sagging neck, heavy upper eyelids, puffy lower eyelids, facial lines and wrinkles, a loss of facial volume, prominent ears or a nose that you wish better fit your face, let’s sit down and discuss what treatment options would work best for you, in my hands.
Stay Healthy, Stay Beautiful, and Feel Great!
Seth A. Yellin, MD, FACS
Founder & Director, Marietta Facial Plastic Surgery, Laser & Aesthetics Center
