Ask the Doctor

Q & A WITH PLASTIC SURGEON DR. ASHLEY AMALFI

Instagram @DrAshleyAmalfi

So much has changed since we heard from you last. How has the pandemicaffected your practice?

As a medical practice, we took COVID-19 very seriously from the beginning. We voluntarily stopped elective surgery as we learned more about this fastspreading virus. The Quatela Center for Plastic Surgery donated extra personal protective equipment (PPE) to hospitals in need, giving frontline workers the protection they needed to care for the sickest patients in our community. We also let the local hospitals know that the ventilators in our operating rooms were at their disposal should they need them in their ICUs. Thankfully, those measures were not needed in our community, and we were already hard at work planning how to pivot, change and strategically re-open our doors as soon as it was safe to do so.

What a scary time. How have things changed since you reopened?

So much has changed, yet the fundamentals of how we take care of patients and the safe surgical experience we offer hasn’t wavered. We offer virtual consultations for patients who feel more comfortable first meeting that way, or for those who travel longer distances to see us. Patients are still able to come into the office in-person for any necessary medical follow-up and care needed after surgery. Our entire staff is masked throughout the day, temperatures are checked upon arrival, and we ask that our patients do the same. We have specific precautions in place related to procedures on the face when a mask cannot be worn, and are proud to be safely offering the highest level of service for injectables and neurotoxin appointments.

Is it safe to have cosmetic surgery or procedures right now?

The OR has always been one of the safest environments to be in, and that has never rung truer than it does now. We go above and beyond to make sure not only that the equipment and environment is clean and sterile, but that you also have a personalized experience despite these new precautions. We also required that all of our patients have a COVID test prior to their surgical procedure. This allows us to make sure you are healthy and ready for your surgery, and that your recovery is smooth and comfortable.

So…. what is the “Zoom Boom?”

We never would have guessed that a pandemic would cause such a spike in plastic surgery procedures. We have seen a dramatic rise in the request for both fillers and neurotoxins, as well as cosmetic surgery, since the spring of 2020. Patients are spending endless hours on Zoom, staring at their own face in a camera and critiquing things they had never noticed before, giving rise to a new population of men and women seeking procedures like neurotoxin to correct the frown lines and furrows of their brow. There has been a spike in neck contouring procedures like liposuction for a double chin, and injections to slim the lower face and build up a stronger jaw and facial contour.

How has wearing masks affected plastic surgery?

Mask-wearing has really changed what we are looking at. Our eyes are now the focus of the face, conveying our emotions in a way we had never experienced before universal mask wearing. We have patients complaining that their eyes look tired, or make them look older than they are. Procedures like undereye filler for dark circles and eyelid surgery are trending right now, as they offer a refreshed and rested look with minimal downtime.

Why are so many people choosing to have their cosmetic surgery now?

It really is a great time to have cosmetic surgery. Many of our patients are working from home and have the benefit of not needing to take much, if any, time off to have the surgery they have been dreaming about. They are easily able to log back into work from the comfort of their couch the day after a big surgery, without needing to take large amounts of time off to recover. Without vacations, parties, weddings and get togethers, coordinating a surgical date and recovery time could not be easier. Patients are eager to get on the surgery schedule now, so that they can fully recover and be ready to be back out into the world once it is safer to do so. A renewed focus on health and wellness goes beyond smoothies and home workouts and encompasses cosmetic surgery for many of our patients. Literally, there’s nothing else to do, so everyone might as well look and feel great!

973EastAvenue|Rochester,NY|585.244.1000|Quatela.com