Dr. Kridel was recently recognized for his active contributions to the peer-reviewed, online eMedicine Clinical Knowledge Base for WebMD.com.
Russell WH Kridel, MD, FACS is currently assigned as a co-author on two articles: Prerhinoplasty Facial Analysis, and Prerhytidectomy Facial Analysis in the following eMedicine book(s): Otolaryngology and Facial Plastic Surgery.
“Man has long tried to capture the beauty of the human face. Praxiteles’ Aphrodite from 450 BC was considered a standard for artistic beauty for several hundred years. The Renaissance artists of the late 14th century furthered the ancient Greek canons of beauty and described a set of proportions known as the neoclassical canons of beauty. Our ideals of beauty have changed over the last several hundred years, but these concepts are built on the foundations of past artists and scholars, as well as innate aesthetic preferences. With the advent of modern media, our popular icons have shaped or have been shaped by our concept of beauty… Interestingly, homogenous opinions concerning beauty exist across cultures. Cross-cultural consistency results from an evolutionary process linking physically attractive features to biological or social fitness.”
Evaluation for any cosmetic surgery procedure includes clear communication and building an effective rapport with the patient, and is not complete without a thorough history, which begins with a discussion about the patient’s motivations. In addition, systematic facial analysis is critically important for surgical planning.
Numerous potential pitfalls can be identified and complications can be avoided by correlating the patient’s concerns with the individual’s facial anatomy in order to develop a realistic goal.
Properly motivated patients have a healthy self-esteem and seek restorative changes. Having realistic expectations of postoperative results as well as the postoperative recovery period is vitally important for the patient.
For rhinoplasty patients, specific techniques must be chosen and executed expertly, with the knowledge that each maneuver usually alters several characteristics of the nose at the same time. An appropriate marriage of analysis and technique yields the greatest opportunity for achieving the most important goal of any cosmetic surgery: a satisfied patient.
eMedicine is the most authoritative and accessible point of care medical reference available to physicians and other health care professionals on the Internet. eMedicine has a worldwide audience, including all of the 192 UN-recognized countries as well as other state s and territories. The site is part of the Medscape Professional Network which receives an average 1.5 million physician visits per month. The evidence-based content, updated regularly by some 8,000 attributed physician or health care provider authors and editors, provides the latest practice guidelines in 38 clinical areas. The eMedicine Clinical Knowledge Base contains articles on over 6,700 diseases and medical topics, and is richly illustrated with some 29,000 multimedia files. eMedicine’s professional content undergoes multiple levels of rigorous physician peer review, plus an additional review by a PharmD prior to publication.
In this issue surgeons explore special considerations such as preserving or modifying the facial features of different ethnic groups, and discuss the challenges and questions for these various concepts of ethnicity and of modern and changing standards of aesthetic beauty.
Rhinoplasty is currently the most popular facial plastic surgery procedure requested by Hispanic and African-American patients. Traditional procedures and techniques have evolved to favor more ethnic preservation.
In two articles “African-American Rhinoplasty” and “Hispanic-American Rhinoplasty”, Dr. Kridel details how surgical planning shoud be sensitive to both individual and cultural differences in aesthetic perception and the patient’s expectations.
Kridel, RWH, Rowe-Jones J: Guest Editors. Ethnicity in Facial Plastic Surgery. Facial Plastic Surgery. Thieme Medical Publishers, 2010; 26 (2).
Kridel, RWH, Patel, A. “African-American Rhinoplasty” In Ethnicity in Facial Plastic Surgery. Facial Plastic Surgery. Thieme Medical Publishers, 2010; 26 (2): 131-141.
Kridel, RWH, Patel, A. “Hispanic-American Rhinoplasty” In Ethnicity in Facial Plastic Surgery. Facial Plastic Surgery. Thieme Medical Publishers, 2010; 26 (2): 142-153.
“To clear the body of unwanted hair, women have used just about everything: razors, hot wax and even chemical depilatories.
All of these solutions, while successful, need to be repeated to get results. Now, many medical spas and physicians offices are promising more permanent hair reduction with laser treatment. Providing a more long-standing solution, laser hair removal comes with some caveats, nonetheless.”
Amanda Koehler spoke with Houston Plastic Surgeon Dr. Kridel to learn more about laser hair removal, including costs and what to expect from a procedure that promises to rid the body of unsightly hair.
Amanda Koehler is associate editor of ADVANCE for Healthy Aging, a healthcare publication from ADVANCE Newsmagazines, provides age management physicians with comprehensive coverage of this multidisciplinary industry. From medical aesthetics; health and wellness; and fitness and exercise; to skin care; hormone therapy; and nutritional analysis and supplementation, ADVANCE for Healthy Aging has the most complete news and information. Each issue features the latest in clinical research, new products, advancements in technology and much more.
On Thursday, April 8th Saks Fifth Avenue hosted a coctail reception to raise awareness for the Face Foundation. Delicious lite bites were graciously donated by HauteBox Meals.
Injuries can be severe and are a daily reminder of living in violent situation. The Face Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of men, women or children who are wearing physical scars of abuse. Victims of domestic abuse are provided with free reconstructive plastic surgery of the head, face and neck.
The Face Foundation strives to obtain hospitals, nurses and anesthesiologists to donate their time, expertise, rooms and care needed for surgery. Yet, donations are always welcome to fund the costs of recovery, prescription drugs and printed educational material concerning reconstructive surgery and domestic violence that are not always cost-free.
Potential surgical patients who want to move forward with
HauteBox Meals
their lives must be out of the abusive situation and must have obtained counseling from a domestic violence program. As well, potential surgical recipients must be screened through the National Domestic Violence Program 800.799.7233.
Delicious lite bites were graciously donated by HauteBox Meals.
“Lemme get a gander at that there schnozzle under your Stetson, partner” might be overheard this week in Houston during Rodeo Rhinoplasty, four days of physician training on every aspect of the nose job.
Houston’s racial and ethnic diversity — providing an international range of noses — makes the city an ideal location for a seminar exploring surgical techniques and modern beauty standards, said Dr. Russell Kridel, a Houston plastic surgeon who founded the annual conference last year.
“What we think is beautiful is changing,” he said. “We have to know that so we can achieve what that beauty is. You can’t think that everyone wants to have a long, thin nose.”
Physicians from across the globe were in Houston through the weekend for Rodeo Rhinoplasty, a conference directed by Houston facial plastic surgeon Dr. Russell Kridel tackling all things nose jobs.
Presentations at the meeting explained how the looks of Beyoncé and other people of color are changing global standards of beauty.
AS SEEN ON FOX 26 HOUSTON – People may be considering making some changes to their appearance, but no one wants to spend all their money on cosmetic surgery.
As seen on ABC 13 Houston HealthCheck with Medical Reporter Christi Myers Thursday, February 25th at 10PM
HOUSTON (KTRK) Looking younger isn’t vanity any more; it’s a way to compete in today’s job market. But fewer people can afford or want an extensive face lift. It’s a look at the procedure people are asking for especially men and it’s called facial fillers. Dr. Russ Kridel talks about how new injectables like Sculptra, Juvederm, Perlane, and other injectable facial fillers have become more popular than ever in the past few years.
Ken asks: “Dr. Russ Kridel, are you there?… You are just the guy I want to talk to. I am just fascinated by the whole steroids thing and I understand what steroids do, that they are synthetic and artificial, I understand all that stuff. Everything I read about human growth hormone, I read about it and I am thinking why is this not sold at CVS over-the-counter right next to the lip balm? This seems to be a fantastic thing to keep people alive and functioning and vital well into their 70s and 80s. What is wrong with HGH?”
Dr. Russell W. H. Kridel, member of the Council of the American Medical Association Council of Science and Public Health answers these questions and discusses the pros and cons of HGH, Testosterone, steroids, and other anti- aging medicines; possible benefits and risks, and what you can do to stay feeling and looking young.
Are Current Internet Patient Rating Sites of Physicians helpful?
Only Minimally. Very few patients who are happy with a doctor’s service will take the time to write in to the rating sites. The ones that do write in are usually the complainers, the disgruntled, the bellyachers, and often their complaints have little to do with the quality of care received or their medical outcome but often only relate to whether the patient had a long wait, or whether the office staff or doctor were friendly. Some of these patients are angry with the disease they have and transfer that anger on to the doctor, who may have asked them to change their lifestyle habits, go on a diet, stop smoking, stay out of the sun, or start exercising. Some are angry because the insurance company didn’t reimburse them for their costs, as if the physicians had any control over the insurance company cartel! And some of these patients are not honest about their experience and rant on in hyperbole without anyone to verify their statements. Some doctors have been crucified by angry patients who had it in for the doctor despite the good care that was provided! Doctors have little recourse to respond to such on-line attacks because of the laws of patient confidentiality and because doctors don’t have time to search all these sites to even see what’s been said about them. One angry patient can go to all 40+ rating sites and post numerous comments on each. Best thing to do is to visit the doctor yourself and draw your own conclusions and talk personally with real patients who the doctor has treated. Most offices will provide you with names of patients willing to speak to other patients.
What is most dangerous about these rating sites is that there is no verification that the person sending in a comment is an actual patient. As distasteful and unethical as it is, there have been multiple instances where competitors have sent in false reports about another doctor to try to sabotage his practice. Also, previously dismissed employees from a practice have tried to get back at their doctor employer by spreading false comments. Even previous spouses have been caught posting lies. And, on the other side, some practices have made up and submitted in positive comments about their doctor. The Federal Communication Commission has ruled that spreading lies on the internet is a punishable offense. And the American Medical Association is studying this very problem now, and a company called Medical Justice is helping doctors when they are so maligned falsely.
Some patients are turned away by their physicians because they are non-compliant with suggested care or because they have unreal expectations about what the physician can do. This is especially true in cosmetic plastic surgery. These are precisely the patients most likely to complain vociferously.
As a physician, I know that doctors often cannot control being on time. Often the complexity of the patient’s problems is unpredictable and one patient’s visit might take longer than estimated. Or else the doctor may have had extended rounds in the hospital because of patients with complex medical concerns or because of a longer than planned for surgery. Would you want the doctor to rush his surgery on the patient just so he could be on time for your patient visit? Or maybe the last patient was late coming to the office and knocked the doctor’s schedule off kilter. Only psychiatrists can consistently be on time because their visits are time set.
I often recommend patients to the doctors I know are best in their fields. And, as predicted, those are the busiest of doctors and are in high demand. I don’t mind waiting long hours for them in their offices when I’m a patient, because I know that when they see me, they will give me all the attention I need and the best in care. I have one neurosurgeon colleague who is reputed to have no bedside manner. Do I care? No, because I know that he’s the best neurosurgeon in town, and if I have a brain tumor, he’s cutting it out.
Some patient rating sites rate doctors based on how soon they could get an appointment. Again, the best are going to be in the highest demand. Often patients let an illness or problem drag on until it really gets serious and then expect to be seen immediately. It’s best to establish a relationship with a primary care doctor for a general check up and to build a well-care relationship, so that when you do get sick, that doctor will be more apt to see you soon since you are an established patient or else can get you seen more quickly by a specialist on his referral.
Also, patients often lack the scientific acumen to judge their physician, nor do they see how he treats other patients and what his practice patterns are. Other doctors often have a great idea of how their colleagues do; they see their results; they see their complications; they know their dedication or lack of; they know their attention to detail. Patients may not know that their particular case was not the ordinary and that their doctor had cured 999 out of the last 1000 patients with the same malady!
Some patients complain because they feel the doctor’s fees are too high. They don’t recognize that doctors’ incomes have been dropping steadily since the government took over so much medical care and since the insurance companies have devalued the service the doctor renders. For procedures covered by insurance, the doctors receive the amount set for that service based on what the insurance company or government dictates. Some of the reimbursements now are lower for the same procedures that they were ten years ago. If the patient is paying more now, it’s because the insurance company is requiring higher deductibles and co-pays for the patient to pay. It costs me more to have a plumber come out to my house and fix a pipe than I would pay a physician, who has a high office overhead and 6 to 10 staff on payroll, to remove my child’s tonsils, which is an operation that can lead to death if the patient bleeds afterwards! For fees on such non-insurance items, such as plastic surgery, you need to pay for experience. When the recent plane that was disabled was set down safely on the Hudson River by an older seasoned pilot, that experience was recognized. But what about the commuter jet mishaps that happen too often with young, inexperienced pilots? Every patient is different as are all doctors. I want the doctor operating on me who has done 100+ of the procedure I’m having, not 3 or 4! Re-dos aren’t fun! We’ll talk more later about experience and how we can measure this.
Other ridiculous parameters rated by these sites are where the doctor went to medical school. The current reputation of a medical school may have no relation to what it was like 20 years ago when you doctor was there. And medical school is just the preliminary step in training. What really makes the difference is where he / she did the residency training after medical school, which for a facial plastic surgeon is six more years of training. And just because a doctor was at a good institution doesn’t mean he was at the top of his class. I’d rather have a doctor from a not-so-well known residency program who finished number one, than a doctor at a well known program who finished at the bottom.
eMedicine is the most authoritative and accessible point of care medical reference available to physicians and other health care professionals on the Internet. eMedicine has a worldwide audience, including all of the 192 UN-recognized countries as well as other state s and territories. The site is part of the Medscape Professional Network which receives an average 1.5 million physician visits per month. The evidence-based content, updated regularly by some 8,000 attributed physician or health care provider authors and editors, provides the latest practice guidelines in 38 clinical areas. The eMedicine Clinical Knowledge Base contains articles on over 6,700 diseases and medical topics, and is richly illustrated with some 29,000 multimedia files. eMedicine’s professional content undergoes multiple levels of rigorous physician peer review, plus an additional review by a PharmD prior to publication.
In this issue surgeons explore special considerations such as preserving or modifying the facial features of different ethnic groups, and discuss the challenges and questions for these various concepts of ethnicity and of modern and changing standards of aesthetic beauty.
