Surgeon Bashes CRNAs in Vogue Magazine

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I picked this up from another CRNA discussion board and have not read the article myself, but this appeared in the June 2004 Vogue magazine. It has stirred a lot of attention from CRNAs (As it should have!) and as far as I know it will be addressed by the AANA...or at least I hope so!

The article in the June 2004 issue of Vogue contains an article entitled 'Shopping for Surgey'. Santa Monica surgeon R. Patrick Abergel states " It's not illegal for surgeons to administer anesthesia themselves, and a lot do - or they work with Nurse Anesthetists. Both are unsafe, says Abergel. Prior to surgery, a patient should discuss their medical history as well as the type of anesthesia with the anesthesiologist..."

This may not be a medical journal, but it is a nationally read magazine. This kind of ignorant statement undermines a lot of the hard work that has been done to promote the truth that CRNAs are safe anesthesia providers. The general public reads this garbage and can potentially form an opinion based on a factless, biased statement by some surgeon. Although not credible in my eyes, these kinds of statements can do a lot of damage to the reputation of CRNAs. We have a lot of work to do!

All I can say is if that horse's a$$ ever needs surgery in a rural hospital, they can just tell him to stay awake. Although we have a mix of Anesthesia docs and CRNA's some places have very few anesthesia docs or only CRNA's. I am not a CRNA, so I'd like to know do you guys get hostile responses from docs on a regular basis in your daily practice? The anesthesiologists where I work have mostly very good things to say about the CRNA's at the hospital. I recently had a mom in labour who's hubby was a nursing student and was aspiring to be a CRNA one day. The anesthesia doc (who is usually a grumpy old cuss) came to place an epidural in the patient. He explained the whole procedure to this man and went onto to say what a good career being a CRNA is. I wish we worked w/ CRNA's in our ob unit because they seem to take a bit more time to explain things to the pt. and us too. My friend had a CRNA for her epidural at a hospital in Baltimore and he was super! What a shame some jerk has to bash another group of professionals to puff his own ego.

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First of all, this guy is NOT a surgeon, he is a dermatologist. He couldn't get hospital privileges to do plastic surgery. Secondly, the board of cosmetic surgery is not a recognized board and was developed by those who were not eligible for board certification in plastic surgery or ENT. I know this for a fact, because I was asked to be a consultant in setting it up.

I believe that the AANA will be in touch with CRNAs in Southern California to see if any of them have lost business due to that article. If so, I hope that information will be given to the Federal Trade Commission, along with a strong letter from a prominent anti-trust attorney

All of us on this board, no matter where you are in this field, need to understand the pressures we have as a profession. Get involved early and often, contribute money (when you can) to AANA projects and most important, be able to argue our case effectively.

I will send a personal letter to Dr. Arbugel. He will not be happy when he gets the letter. I am trying to do some background work through my sources, to find out more about him and his PR firm. As an aside, we have seen a number of his patients who are unhappy with his work and are requesting fixes.

YogaCRNA

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if somone would please post the address of where to write ill put a copy of the article at my school along with the adress so that 100 of us can write him.

Letters, VOGUE Magazine

4 Times Square

New York, NY 10036

via internet: [email protected]

***Please include a daytime telephone number, letters may be edited for length or clarity***

ps. this is the address listed in the April issue (the last one I bought).

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First of all, this guy is NOT a surgeon, he is a dermatologist. He couldn't get hospital privileges to do plastic surgery. Secondly, the board of cosmetic surgery is not a recognized board and was developed by those who were not eligible for board certification in plastic surgery or ENT. I know this for a fact, because I was asked to be a consultant in setting it up.

I believe that the AANA will be in touch with CRNAs in Southern California to see if any of them have lost business due to that article. If so, I hope that information will be given to the Federal Trade Commission, along with a strong letter from a prominent anti-trust attorney

I will send a personal letter to Dr. Arbugel. He will not be happy when he gets the letter. I am trying to do some background work through my sources, to find out more about him and his PR firm. As an aside, we have seen a number of his patients who are unhappy with his work and are requesting fixes.

YogaCRNA

This is great news. Again, yoga you are an inspiration to all of us aspiring activists. May I ask though, where did you find this background info? Are things like this available to the public or do you know this from your job/expirence? I had never heard of anyone being "cosmetic surgery" board certified, is it new on the West coast?...I wonder what the board cert ENTs/plastics think of this? Sounds very unsafe to me (more corner cutting and decreases in quality of work most likely). Again, thanks for providing this background.

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yoga when i grow up i wanna be you. or at least like you.

:)

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This is great news. Again, yoga you are an inspiration to all of us aspiring activists. May I ask though, where did you find this background info? Are things like this available to the public or do you know this from your job/expirence? I had never heard of anyone being "cosmetic surgery" board certified, is it new on the West coast?...I wonder what the board cert ENTs/plastics think of this? Sounds very unsafe to me (more corner cutting and decreases in quality of work most likely). Again, thanks for providing this background.

Usually you just have to go to the doctor's website. It will list all of his affiliations....and some are quite funny. Perhaps we should flood his site with e-mails, wouldn't he just love that!

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He isn't even an American. He is from Paris. Came to the US about 15 years ago, his site says that he is a leader in cosmetic surgery and one of the best dermatologists in the US???????

Take a look at his website........................quite interesting.

Says that with his new liposuction method, in just two hours you can go from a size 16 to a size 10. Wonder how that patient is doing immediately post-op? Electrolytes anyone?

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I am really really sick of NON medical magazines like Vogue and Ladies Home Journal making ignorant blanket statements about nurses, doctors and NP/CRNA etc. They need to stick to the fluff they do best and leave medical advice/opinions out of their reporting. They are misleading people in a criminal way.

I advise the CRNAs here who take issue to deluge the magazine with their opinions the way many of us did Ladies Home Journal when they disrespected/disdained NP work, saying to "settle" for an NP is wrong, or something to that effect.

Use your voice power and let these people know they need to stick to fashion and other similiar fluff and leave the misleading and one-sided "medical" advice out, or AT LEAST present a BALANCED, INFORMATIVE piece for public use.

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

the center for nursing advocacy has a good info + response about this article:

http://www.nursingadvocacy.org/news/2004jun/vogue.html

see their instant letter link:

please help us by sending our instant letter. please click here.

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the center for nursing advocacy has a good info + response about this article:

http://www.nursingadvocacy.org/news/2004jun/vogue.html

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this article is a great response. it especially warms my heart to see such a response from a non-anesthesia nursing organization. if we can promote more of this attitude, nursing can move mountains.

thanks for this link!

and remember, fair is fair. we crnas/srnas need to stand up for nps/cnss/cnms when the need arises.

loisane crna

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Geriatrics.

And remember, fair is fair. We CRNAs/SRNAs need to stand up for NPs/CNSs/CNMs when the need arises.

loisane crna

I completely agree with this loisane. I belong to none of the above mentioned groups but as a nurse, I feel a responsiblity to speak out against inaccuracies and blatant lies spoken against any member of the profession. I sent my letters last night.

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Pieces of my letter:

Dear Mr. Thomas Florio, Ms. Anna Wintour, Ms. Ariel Levy and Dr. Patrick Abergel:

As a xx year old CRNA, I feel the need to respond. Are you smoking crack? Do you often feel the need to make statements to the public that are not grounded in fact? Statements that may prove "actionable" in a legal sense? Do you simply make statements and never check sources or facts to verify whether those statements are indeed acurate?

I spent years learning my "craft" and realize I am taking someone else's life (and my career!) in my hands EVERY TIME I provide an anesthetic. Can you say, "PRESSURE!"? Yes, it is stressful, but I also happen to LOVE what I do! My colleages are just like me. I don't understand how you can make such a damaging remark without even doing a little checking around before printing such things.

I'm confident others will write to point out the legendary history of safe anesthesia provided for over 100 years by nurse anesthestists. They will no doubt point out to you that studies have been done showing NO DIFFERENCE in outcome of anesthesia whether provided by Anesthesiologists or Nurse Anesthetists. That CRNAs (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists) provide 2/3 of all anesthesia in the US. Blah, blah, blah, ect. The facts are known and all you needed to do was "do a little homework" before printing such a potentially damaging article.

In fairness to you all, I'm wondering if the statement was made about some of the truly "quack" situations where cosmetic surgery is being performed by people who are NOT "Board Certified Surgeons" (like Dr. Abergel - check it out!) and perhaps using a "nurse" who is NOT a CRNA to do the anesthetic??? THAT is indeed DANGEROUS!!!! Perhaps Dr. Abergel runs in those kinds of circles - thus he might make a statement like that?

CRNAs have our own "private" forum/chatboard and some the information is coming out about Dr. Abergel. Mainly, it looks like HE is most likely the "quack" practicing out of his "safe-zone" as a physician, yet wanting to call 30,000 Nurse Anesthetists providing 2/3rds of America's anesthesia care "unsafe"! Talk about having "Gaul" - of course, I see he is FRENCH! Need I say more?

Please check your facts in the future and if you don't already do so, perhaps it's time for you to begin to pray that the CRNAs of the US don't feel the need to launch a lawsuit for damages to our good name and income.

Sleeepy

So - what do ya think? A little "strong"? ;-) hehehehe!!! I hope so!

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