With the advent of more and more “medical spas” or “medspas” over the past several years plastic surgery has become something that is not always limited to a doctor’s office or hospital. Medical spas are essentially combining two different businesses: day spas and minor outpatient surgery centers. While there’s no real definition of what constitutes a medical spa and what doesn’t, most medical spas can be identified as being a business which offers a large variety of spa treatments such as facials, massages and mud wraps with a mix of mostly non-invasive cosmetic surgery procedures including skin abrasion, derma smooth, laser hair removal and even some types of liposuction.

Are medical spas performing plastic surgery legally?

The initial concept of joining traditional spa services with cosmetic surgery procedures under one roof is believed to have started nearly ten years ago. The International Spa Association reports that there are now over 1,800 medical spas in the United States, which is an amazing 84% increase from July 2007 through December 2008. And while most medical spas bill themselves as being clean and safe, there has been very little close study of the safety or even legality of the practice.

The September death of 37-year-old Mrs. Kah-Orukotan in the Florida Weston Medspa brought some of these safety and training issues to light. There are some charges that the type of operation Mrs. Kah-Orukotan was undergoing was not strictly allowed to be performed in a non-medical facilities. The investigation is still ongoing. Now lawmakers in several states, including New York, Massachusetts, Florida and Utah are now considering laws to formal define a medical spa and to begin regulating what they can and can’t do. New Jersey, which has the nation’s only plastic surgery tax (or “Botax”), may be the inspiration for a measure in some of the upcoming healthcare bills that would create a tax on cosmetic surgery procedures performed at medical spas.

Are medical spas safe for plastic surgery?

The medical spas themselves point out the fact that they have paid medical doctors on staff and that the vast majority of their patients have a safe and effective cosmetic surgery experience. Critics point out that some of those doctors actually started out in one field and moved into performing plastic surgery procedures for a number of different reasons. Some of the doctors may not have all the training and experience that established board certified plastic surgeons usually have.

Working at a medical spa can be attractive to a doctor for several reasons. First, it can add variety to a doctor’s normal routine of seeing the same patients with the same ailments week in and week out. Second, many doctors report that working in a medical spa is a more rewarding and less stressful experience than working in a busy practice or hospital. Third, working in a medical spa often requires less time filling out insurance paperwork for doctors because the business is largely paid for with “out of pocket” money from patients which completely avoids the numerous medical insurance claims and beauracracy that’s often found in a regular doctor’s office.

This payment system is also a big reason why medical spas are becoming so popular among their clinetele. Some medical spas offer the ability to just walk in off the street and receive a variety of spa treatments and surgical procedures, sometimes all in the same day. This convenience and immediacy appeals the baby boomers who want plastic surgery but don’t want to deal with the usual procedure of dealing with a busy doctor’s office.

The prices of many of the plastic surgery procedures at medical spas can also be quite attractive. Many medical spas take advantage of the latest technology and some staff members require less training than in a traditional doctor’s office. These efficiencies and cost savings are often reflected in their prices.

The safety of medical spas for plastic surgery procedures is still a hotly debated topic. It’s buyer beware when you’re choosing a plastic surgeon or picking a medical spa, so you’ll probably want to do your homework. You should probably check references if possible, make sure the medical spa and surgical areas are clean and well maintained. Just as when you’re looking for a cosmetic surgeon, you’ll want to investigate the experience of the doctors as well as any complaints there may be against the doctor or medical spa in question.

For some people the convenience and attractive price may be too much to pass up, while for others the more traditional method of having plastic surgery in a doctor’s office or hospital may be much more comforting. It’s ultimately a personal decision to have any sort of cosmetic surgery done in at a medical spa.