Tag: #plastic surgery

Reducing hospital bills: Simple steps to Ease your Pockets

Reducing medical expenses

Reducing hospital bills = Removing Agents in practice

Magnitude of problem

Hospitals bills can ruin your financial planning. Did u know that 20% of your medical bills can be reduced by simply removing the agents who take you to hospitals ?????
We seldom realise the web of agents surrounding us in healthcare sector. People pay lakhs of rupees for their treatments. They never realise that upto 30% of bills are inflated because of agents. Agents charge 20 -30% of total bill costs just for introducing patients to hospitals. This cost is then transferred to patients in their bills.

Possible Reason for the problem

The most important reason of this happening in healthcare sector is because of lack of regulations of quacks. Quacks run clinics everywhere in our country and when they refer patients to hospitals they expect kickbacks which is accepted by hospitals at times. People turn to agents thinking they will reduce their bills end getting inflated hefty bills. Sending patients and earning commissions is so common now that most people don’t find anything wrong in it. In fact to get new patients this is the easiest way.

A World of irony

One one hand central and state governments are trying to reduce burden of health costs on people by bringing schemes like Ayushman Bharat and Delhi arogya kosh. On the other side we have these tours working without any regulations charging such exorbitant commissions. Middle class population is mostly hit by this type of malpractice.

Scary and sad at the same time

Imagine yourself paying 1 lakh rupees hospital bill for treatment or surgery. Now imagine that 20-30 thousand of this bill went to the agent who brought you to the hospital. This could have been avoided if you went directly to the hospital/ doctor probably.

My experience

Very early in my private practice I was regularly approached by such agents with lucarative offers. Agents try to lure you with prospects of getting huge number of patients. Though tempting as a newcomer I have always resisted these offers. As a result I get less number of patients but genuine patients. I am able to reduce their hospital bills because I don’t have to pay any agents. It is my privilege that Max group of hospitals where I am currently employed shuns this practice totally. I don’t allow such agents in my clinic based practice also.

A ray of hope

Thankfully many of the corporate hospitals have stopped giving commissions for domestic patients. Though The practice still runs for international patients in most hospitals. Situation is more deplorable in smaller centres where patients go with a hope of cheaper treatment. They end up paying much much more than what was needed.
I can only hope such kickbacks stop in medical treatments. Have you ever heard of lawyers giving 30% of his professional fees for bringing in clients? Have you heard of chartered accountants or architects giving 30% as commissions??

You can save yourself from agents

1) Try to get in touch with your doctor/ hospital directly most of them are readily approachable.
2) Stay away from unrelated people who tend to talk on your behalf with hospitals saying they will get your bills reduced. Talk to the hospitals directly.
3) It is better to go to your family physician( certified) or hospitals for referrals directly. They tend to give you genuine advice usually.
4) Never go to a hospital where you are being forced by someone to get treated.

International patients should be vary of their interpreters who can sometimes act as agents themselves. This way patients can save 20% on their hospital bills.

Dr Deepak Rathore (MBBS, MS, Mch plastic surgery)

Get in touch with us at essencecosmeticsurgery.com or call us at 9711707831, 9968539463. You can also Email us : essencecosmeticsurgery@gmail.com

Hair Loss treatment: A Simple Start up guide

Hair loss guide

Hi I am Dr Deepak Rathore. I am a certified plastic surgeon practicing in Delhi NCR. We are doing cosmetic surgeries along with other plastic and reconstruction procedures in Delhi NCR Today we are talking about hair loss and role of plastic surgeons in finding solutions to hair fall and hair loss. 

As plastic surgeons we mostly come across patients in various stages of male pattern baldness according to Norwood scale ranging from grade 1 to grade 7 

Hair restoration surgery or hair transplant as commonly called is one of the most common cosmetic procedures done for men in India and worldwide. 

Male pattern baldness affects almost all ageing men ( some more than others) . Androgens levels affect male pattern baldness. Most of the  pharmacological treatment is directed towards androgens only. 

However the spectrum of causes leading to hair fall and hair loss in present day population is so much more.   

We have environment affecting our hair quality. We have stress related issues leading to hair fall. We have nutritional issues ( due to poor intake or bariatric surgery these days) leading to poor quality hair which fall easily. 

All these factors compound hair fall problems demanding a more comprehensive approach to tackle hair fall or hair loss. 

Hair fall is increasingly being reported in females also so much so that 40-50% patients approaching us for hair fall are females. 

Hair restoration technology is advancing very rapidly. We are now able to see scalp skin and hair roots in much better magnified details than we could see before. It is helping us understand the factors causing hairfall better. Today we can measure thickness of every hair or count number of follicular units in a given area with sophisticated imaging softwares. It helps us in better follow ups and documentation of results after various therapies. 

Markets are filled with various treatment being done by plastic surgeons, dermatologist and also by numerous unqualified persons like Autologous blood treatments, pharmacological treatments, oils and hair restoration surgery. 

Patients often get confused about what to do? 

Patients often call us asking if Autologous blood treatments will help them or they need hair transplant. We always tell them to visit and have a proper examination because it is almost impossible to advice patients which procedure or medication might help them without a proper examination. 

Patients with same Norwood scale baldness may benefit from different strategies ranging from Autologous blood treatments, Nutritional supplements, pharmacological drugs , hair restoration surgery.

With so many factors playing role in hairfall it is important that your plastic surgeon is able to pinpoint the exact cause of hairfall and direct his treatment to mitigate the cause.  

Hairfall is preventable, reversible and curable provided proper evaluation is done for you. 

We usually apply a mutipronged strategy with our patients to evaluate all these parameters. We see hairfall not as an isolated problem. In doing so we are able to improve overall well being of our patients along with hair improvement. 

For example one might be suffering from micronutrient and mineral deficiency leading to poor hair quality and hair loss. If we do not improve upon nutrition and start Autologous blood treatments or minoxidil or hair transplant for the patient it may not give expected good results. 

Similarly patients dealing with stress and having hair fall may have suboptimal results if stress is not dealt with and rest of the treatment is started. 

Markets are flooded with people  offering 100% results ( mostly quacks and unqualified people with no formal training whatsoever) 

Patient should be aware and smart enough to choose best plastic surgeon for his evaluation and treatment. Hair treatment does not always mean Autologous blood treatments and hair transplants. There is so much more to it. An able plastic surgeon can help you choose the best treatment strategies. 

Hope this article helps you understand the basics of hair fall problems and select best suited plan for your hair loss.

Our next article brings to you 5 easy DIY ways at home to keep your hair healthy.

Dr Deepak Rathore (MBBS, MS, Mch plastic surgery)

Get in touch with us at essencecosmeticsurgery.com or call us at 9711707831, 9968539463. You can also Email us : essencecosmeticsurgery@gmail.com