When plastic surgeons in Beverly Hills go prime time, the ripples are felt by their colleagues on the northern prairie.
But doctors in ZIP code 58103 want their patients to know that not every doctor cuts the arms off his scrubs and does push-ups in the hallway.
Dr. Robert Rey and his fellow surgeons on "Dr. 90210" add bling to the plastic surgery world, but their reality may be a bit over-the-top.
Rey is the guest speaker at this year's Women's Showcase on Saturday in the Fargodome. The event is sponsored by Forum Communications, which owns The Forum.
Rey practices in Beverly Hills. His specialties are through-the-navel breast enhancements, tummy tucks and liposuctions.
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"Dr. 90210" not only follows Rey and his colleagues at work but also includes story lines with their families and their free-time foibles.
"I'm a psychiatrist with a knife," is his slogan.
Reality shows such as "Dr. 90210," which is on E! TV, and "Extreme Makeover" on ABC have increased interest in plastic surgery among the general public, two local plastic surgeons say. Now, if only the reality shows could get the whole story right.
"Dr. 90210" has helped viewers recognize that plastic surgery isn't only for rich movie stars and that even someone in the Fargo-Moorhead area could have something done, says Dr. Susan Mathison of Catalyst Center in Fargo.
"Yes, they show some Hollywood types, but there are normal, average people (who) have cosmetic or reconstructive surgery done," she says.
When patients come to Dr. Ahmed Abdullah of Plastic Surgery Institute in Fargo, they usually know more about cosmetic procedures than patients did five years ago.
"These shows have certainly increased awareness," he says. "Patients come in, and they're aware that plastic surgery is affordable for a lot more people."
That said, TV sound bites have their limitations.
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While the show accurately portrays how people come in for a consultation, it shortens the time frame. The show also dismisses many of the risks that accompany procedures, Abdullah says.
"The problem is some patients think that coming in and getting a cosmetic procedure done is like getting your hair done," he says. "It doesn't work like that. You can't be so nonchalant about it."
That forces other surgeons to go beyond the sound bite and give their patients a fuller picture of what the procedure is about, Mathison says.
Still, the antics of reality TV plastic surgeons make their Midwestern colleagues laugh and cringe at the same time.
The story lines are so out there that one can only shake his head, Abdullah says.
"But I certainly don't want people to think all plastic surgeons act like that," he says. "The show is funny, but plastic surgery is surgery. It's a tough field and shouldn't be taken as lightly as some shows make it out to be."
Readers can reach Forum reporter Erin Hemme Froslie at (701) 241-5534 Plastic surgery serious reality Erin Hemme-Froslie 20071009
