Having a Little Work Done (at the Mall)

The new MedSpa...coming to a doctor's office near you soon?  Many practices are also setting up "Spas"  in designated areas of the office...and in the malls you can be in and out in an hour..will the trend continue?  How clean are the facilities in the malls?  BD 

THE stampede of doctors and entrepreneurs rushing to fill that demand has left some doctors and plastic-surgery trade groups wondering about the expertise of some of the people providing these services. For many Americans, price and convenience come first, with few questions about the experience and qualifications of the person injecting the treatments.

For its part, Sleek MedSpa says some of its outlets have on-site physicians while others have doctors as medical directors off-site, and nurse practitioners and physician’s assistants who handle day-to-day treatments. If there were an emergency a nurse couldn’t handle, the nurse would call 911, Mr. Rudnick said. He added that no such emergency had ever arisen.

Some just take weekend courses on cosmetic procedures and then set up shop, Dr. Nahai said. Only those certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgeons have undergone formal training of at least six years in plastic surgery and passed an exam on the procedures, Dr. D’Amico said.  The Medicis Pharmaceutical Corporation is awaiting F.D.A. approval of a Botox alternative, Reloxin; it is expected to get the green light in 2008 and will compete head-to-head with Botox, from Allergan.

Having a Little Work Done (at the Mall) - New York Times