WISHING EVERYONE A HAPPY, HEALTHY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!

As we enter into a new decade of uncertainty with governmental legislation for health care reforms i.e. government take over of medicine, Dr. Lewis Obi and his staff are poised for a continued privatized system of medicine. In the works is an active effort to establish a privately based comprehensive breast care center free of government intervention. It is commendable that our local hospitals are establishing specialized centers of breast care. However if our political leaders are successful in their attempts to socialize our health care system then the care provided at these centers would be significantly compromised. Historically, in countries such as England, Canada and France, socialization drove patients to private care centers primarily outside of their national boundaries. As Americans, we will never accept rationed or mediocre healthcare and therefore the demand for a privately based system will escalate. Discerning patients deserve a high quality of medicare care both in the areas of aesthetic as well as reconstructive surgery. Plastic surgery has always been on the forefront of patient advocacy and in the future the last bastion of free enterprise medicine will be in the hands of our plastic surgeons. The history of plastic surgery dates back almost 5000 years as noted by Dr. Lewis Obi’s medical school publication in “Medical World News”. 56 years ago the first kidney transplant was performed by a plastic surgeon, Dr. Joseph Murray, at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston. He later went on to win the Nobel Prize for his accomplishment. Nobel laureates were held in high esteem prior to the dilution of this award by recent political events. Modern day plastic surgeons are comprised of the leading physicians in medicine and with the most comprehensive training. Therefore, as physicians and as plastic surgeons, we have an obligation to lead the cause of preserving the sacred doctor patient relationship free of overbearing governmental intervention.