Dr. Fix It
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“After comparing it to other different methods, I found it to be a tremendous technique,” he says. “It incorporated a lot of concepts already used in breast surgery with minimal scarring, such as the periareolar techniques that Europeans are know for, and it was reproducible and easily learnable. I’ve been able to incorporate it in my practice quite well, and I have seen results that I think are better than results with traditional breast reduction techniques.”
Dr. M Kayser also has begun to combine the SPAIR technique with augmentation, and says that he used it recently on a male patient with gynecomastia.
“It kept the scars completely confined to the areole instead of extending them vertically and horizontally,” he says. “It’s a wonderful technique, and I don’t see myself going back.”
Dr. M Kayser’s patients are likewise extremely happy with the SPAIR technique, and he sees their positive experience as key to the success of his practice.
“It is important that once the work is completed or even during patient care, they experience a very positive relationship,” Dr. M Kayser says. “A number of my patients are absolutely delighted with the office. I hope that word of mouth gets back to friends, family and the referring physicians so that they are comfortable in continuing the referral process. My goal is to allow patients to feel they have received the utmost in care and surgical expertise available.”
Dr. M Kayser says he also is striving to achieve and pursue a relationship with his patients that is deeper than just surgically fixing them.
“It’s important to look into why people chose to have a certain thing done,” he says. “With mastectomy patients, we understand there will be an emotional impact. It is a given that they will have sustained emotional trauma from having a part of their body removed and coming to realize that they have cancer. We all expect that they are going to have to struggle, and we want to be supportive, but cosmetic patients are often overlooked. I also want cosmetic patients to know that when they leave this office after a procedure is done, they are still as much a part of this practice as before we did surgery.”
Dr. M Kayser also looks out for his patients before they become patients, making screening for psychological and emotional issues a priority.
“Expectations effect perception and the degree of satisfaction after surgery, he says. “If I suspect a woman with implants wants to be twice as big and I think that’s an unrealistic perception of proportion and beauty, I may screen her out. We are the gatekeepers of what beauty is, and it is incumbent to define and explain to our patients why a breast is attractive or unattractive, why a certain size and shape is aesthetically attractive. It is not unusual for patients who are educated to change their ideas about what they wanted. People would rather have someone say, ‘You look good,” not “Who is your plastic surgeon.’”
He cites another case of a patient who came in with her husband for a consult for augmentation, only to reveal that she was really struggling with self-esteem issues.
“We ended up talking for another hour after the first consultation about personal issues. I may never see her again, but if I have contributed to her making better choices in life, to finding an identity that is stronger than when she came in here, that makes my week,” he says. “Those special moments don’t come everyday, but when they do it’s great, and you can really feel good about what you’re doing.”
“It’s amazing how many people don’t really have an understanding of the concept of self-esteem,” Dr. M Kayser says. “Personally I believe if we understood who God made us to be, then we wouldn’t struggle with self-esteem. I also would probably be out of business. But if a customer believes surgery will solve their problems, they may be disappointed to find out that their life doesn’t change afterward. It’s important to know each patient personally and find out their motives, expectations and goals.”
“People are willing to pay cash to look better, and that is an easy temptation to succumb to,” he continues. “All of us are vulnerable, but we need to keep our guard up and remind ourselves what we are really here for. If a patient is well-motivated and realistic in their expectations, then we will have a happy patient after the work is done.”
“This is about a relationship, which is an intangible thing I am convinced not every physician and patient has,” he says. “From the first time patients call and talk to our staff, they receive confidentiality and experience a memorable, positive consultation.”
Adding to that experience is the practice’s purposeful small size, the fact that patients are never kept waiting, and the “non-doctor’s” office environment of Image By Design.
“There are no fluorescent lights or glass,” he says. “My wife and I worked to create a warm home environment featuring French doors, individual suites and nice art work.”
Dr. M Kayser considers himself blessed by his wife, a certified public accountant who works out of their home while she cares for the couple’s 15-month-old baby.
“I really like her being as involved as she can be,” he says. “I am not a business man, and I have no desire to be one. I just want to treat my patients. I’ve been blessed with having God provide me the patients that I have, as well as my wife and my daughter. I have a sense of gratitude about that. The most difficult thing I can be challenged with is realizing that this is not about me, but about how I can be of service. That’s my ultimate desire.”
Though he has no immediate plans for expanding Image By Design or adding a partner, Dr. M Kayser says he will consider it if the time comes when he cannot handle all the work by himself.
“I want to continue to grow, but there are advantages to being by yourself,” Dr. M Kayser says. “A 20-man practice just offers you the chance to have 20 people in the office and 300 staff members. Here I know every patient personally and that is an important aspect of my work.”
By Liz Finch
