Information At Your Fingertips

Posted Tuesday, September 11, 2007 to PROFILES > Plastic Surgery

Posted by The Original Anti-Aging & Cosmetic Surgery Magazine

Award winning site www.surgery.com can provide detailed information on procedures, facilitate online discussion with a physician and even locate a surgeon for your needs, reports Sally Waddington.

Cosmetic surgery and the Internet both are fields that have grown rapidly in the last 10 years. There is an enormously wide range of procedures on offer these days, and in the USA the cosmetic surgery industry is now a $10 billion marketplace. Likewise, it now seems that everything we need can be found on the Web - from groceries to music to a cosmetic surgeon! And why not? When considering a decision as important as a cosmetic operation, it is vital, and self-respecting, to be completely informed not only about the procedure itself, but also about the surgeon performing it.

That's why surgery.com is essential to those wanting more information on a cosmetic procedure. With a simple, easy to follow design. with explanations written not for doctors but for the patient, it is a great starting point for investigating the what, how and cost of a procedure.

Let's explore the site piece by piece.

Home Page

When you enter Surgery. com you will arrive at a short home page introducing you to the site, telling you what you can do there, and giving you basic instructions on how to find your way around. It enforces the site's mission to inform prospective patients and show them to the right physician for their needs.

Body Area and Body Map

An ingenious tool of the site is a pull down area at the side of every page that directs you to the procedure you're looking for. It lists six different areas of the body, breaks these areas into several parts, and then lists procedures that can be performed on that part. For example, say you were unhappy with your thighs and wanted to change their appearance, you would select 'legs' from the menu, then choose 'thighs' and be given information on 'liposculpture'. There is also a unique 'body map', which contains a body image, and highlights seven areas of this body. Simply point to the area you want to improve, and the site will direct you to the procedures available.

Once you have found the procedure you are interested in,you are given several before and after pictures,and elaborate descriptions of what the procedure entails: its background, how it is performed, results, as well as frequently asked questions (FAQ)for each procedure. There is also a link to more information on the physician who performed the operation seen in the before and after photos.

Physician Locator

Using surgery.com's own database of 1200 surgeons from 25 countries, this search engine allows you to enter details on what you are looking for in a surgeon. There are a range of variables you can enter, and be as specific or general as you wish. If you know the name of the physician you're looking for, simply type it in and you are guided straight to them. Or you can select a state or region of the USA, or choose from a list of 90 countries, and find the surgeon closest to you. Lastly,you can select the type of procedure you were interested in, and be guided that way. Any combination of one or all of these criteria will guide you to names, contact details, and in many cases a separate web page, for all those surgeons that match your specific needs.

Community

Here is where curious searchers can submit their queries about a procedure, and have them answered online by an experienced physician. Select a body topic area, such as abdomen, hair or breast, and view the questions and answers of others, or submit your own. You can be anonymous if you wish, and as specific or general in your queries as you feel comfortable.

Case of the Week

This feature showcases the results of a range of different surgeries, and is changed each week. It shows before and after photographs, links to the contributing physician, and tells the specific story of the patient involved. Other past cases can be reached through a link at the bottom of this page.

Shopping

NO, this is not a place where you can 'buy' a cosmetic procedure. Simply, this is where you can purchase medical products and services, and have them delivered to your home. Also from this page you can be linked to other online shopping organizations, offering after-care products delivered to the home, which eliminates embarrassing post surgery trips to the drug store.

Financing

Finally, surgery.com understands that for many, cosmetic surgery is unable to be fulfilled immediately because of financial stretches. Very soon, visitors to surgery.com can apply online for financing to allow their cosmetic surgery to proceed.

Although it is not wise to exclusively use information collected from the Internet or through any non-personal means to decide on a cosmetic procedure, surgery.com is a great place to start looking. Having won many Web awards, including the selective Jayde Award, surgery.com provides comprehensive information so that those interested in having cosmetic surgery can investigate the ways to do so. Surgery.com will then direct them to an experienced surgeon capable of performing these operations. surgery.com allows informed patients to find out more about their procedure, and gives them the freedom to then decide which physician to contact to discuss the more personal aspects.

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