10-11-09 working:PSN 9/30/09 3:52 PM Page 20 W Doc-jocks host Sirius discussion of plastic surgery on satellite radio by jim leonardo to Plastic Surgery, in which Dr. McCarthy and fellow NYU plastic surgeons Sherrill Aston, MD; Alexes Hazen, MD; and Nolan Karp, MD take turns fielding phone calls from listeners and conducting interviews with guests on issues that run the specialty s gamut. The program emphasizes all aspects of plastic surgery from hand and cleft lip and palate surgery, to breast augmentation and skin tumors, says Dr. McCarthy, who is also Lawrence D. Bell Professor of Plastic Surgery and director of the Institute of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery at NYU. Between the four of us, we cover all areas of the specialty. We also emphasize, over and over, the methods by which to find a properly trained plastic surgeon. But even with our continuing focus on that issue, we continue to be asked: How do we find one? Dr. Karp, assistant professor of plastic surgery at NYU and Tisch Hospital director of plastic surgery, says the show initially received one or two calls from listeners when it debuted in December 2007, but that number has steadily risen. Now the number of callers depends on the topic, he says. One sign of our program s Sirius Radio jocks Nolan Karp, MD (left); Alexes Hazen, success is that many times, MD; Joseph McCarthy, MD; and Sherrill Aston, MD I haven t been able to get through the material that I planned, due to the back-up of phone calls. Because Sirius-XM counts subscribers rather than ratings, Dr. Karp says the four physicians have begun to rely on the number of callers to gauge their success. They ve been increasing exponentially, he says. We might get 20 phone calls each shift, adds Dr. Hazen, assistant professor of plastic surgery at NYU, and sometimes we can t answer them all. Regardless of what the ratings may or may not reveal, the producers love Plastic Surgery because we discuss issues about which the average listener is interested, she says. They may not be interested in cardiothoracic surgery, but most have some interest in plastic surgery. hat does craniofacial pioneer Joseph McCarthy, MD, have in common with the likes of shockjock Howard Stern, punk rocker Markie Ramone and skateboarding champion Tony Hawk? Each hosts a show on Sirius-XM satellite radio. Dr. McCarthy is actually one of four ASPS Member Surgeons who double as onair personalities for Doctor Radio, a joint venture between Sirius-XM and NYU s Langone Medical Center, designed to educate the public about a wide range of medical issues. On Tuesday evenings from 6-8 p.m. (Eastern), the channel is dedicated attract new clients | improve conversions FACE Communicate the possibilities as you demonstrate surgical and non-surgical facial procedures on a 3D image of your patient. S C U L P T O R 3 D A E S T H E T I C S I M U L AT I O N S O F T W A R E . . . O N LY F R O M C A N F I E L D . sculptor BREAST Skip the time-consuming steps of reviewing photographs and stuffing bras and show her how she ll look. sculptor People in glass booths Producers screen each telephone call to keep the hosts from being caught off guard, but each of the plastic surgeons found themselves surprised by the amount of preparation needed to feel comfortable in the highly public broadcast booth a glass room constructed exclusively for Doctor Radio by Sirius-XM Radio, located in the lobby of the Langone Medical Center. When the producer gives you the on air signal and that overhead light goes on, you have to be ready with your topic, Dr. Aston says. There are ways to do talk radio and ways not to do it. When dealing with a subject such as plastic surgery, even though the shows aren t scripted, we need to ensure that we have factual material that s conveyed appropriately. We all do a lot of homework for each show, but once we re on the air, we try to create a simple discussion that has a good flow of information to it, he adds. Preparation makes that happen. powered by Once you navigate through the cost and safety issues with your patient, it comes down to outcomes: What am I actually going to look like? The Canfield VECTRA blasts through this last barrier with an incredibly accurate visual experience for patients, both from an educational and marketing aspect. Bradley Bengtson, MD Center for Aesthetics and Plastic Surgery Grand Rapids, Michigan Unlikely listeners While the plastic surgeons field calls from every socioeconomic strata Sirius-XM serves the United States and Canada (and can be heard worldwide online) they agree that the most interesting calls come from one particular group of listeners. Truckers, Dr. McCarthy says. One called from Wyoming and said that his ink was changing. He had a tattoo, and by his description of it, it seemed as if he might have been developing skin cancer. But, of course, I didn t offer a diagnosis that would be vastly imprudent. I told him to get it examined, and quickly. He was quite grateful. Plastic Surgery can be heard Tuesdays on Doctor Radio from 6-8 p.m. Eastern on Sirius channel 114 and XM channel 119. The show is replayed from 2-4 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and at midnight on Wednesdays. PSN I use VECTRA 3D imaging for all of my consultations. Canfield s Face Sculptor has made a tremendous impact on how I communicate with my patients. It allows me to make accurate simulations and set surgical goals in advance this truly helps the patient make a decision. C. Spencer Cochran, MD Gunter Center for Aesthetics and Cosmetic Surgery, Dallas Texas Call 800.815.4330 for an online demo of sculptor 3D aesthetic simulation software. IMAGING EXCELLENCE FROM www.canfieldsci.com 20 October/November 2009 Plastic Surgery News