If the leading hospital in South Africa, Park Lane, can auction off liposuction and breast enlargements at online auction houses and turn a strong profit, why shouldn't Johns Hopkins open a plastic surgery wing and potentially earn some of the money being poured into cosmetic surgery? .
As first reported by Sandra Boodman for The Washington Post, six months ago, with little ado, the Johns Hopkins Cosmetic Surgery Center at Green Spring Station opened in the affluent Baltimore suburb of Lutherville, Md.
Opening a center focused on cosmetic surgery is a change of pace for Johns Hopkins. In 2003, the hospital was named "best hospital" by US News and World Report. It scored in the top three in treating cancer, pediatrics and psychology and number one in gynecology, urology and ear, nose and throat disorders.
However, the high-ranking scores were based on the reputation of the hospital as a whole and its doctors. Shifting its focus due to a potential moneymaking opportunity is scary for the prospects of cutting-edge research. .
Although The Mayo Clinic and UCLA Medical Center, numbers two and three on the US News list boast their own Cosmetic Surgery Centers and have not seen a decline in their reputation in other areas of medicine. It is still a potential risk, Johns Hopkins is evidently willing to take.
In 2002, 6.6 million Americans underwent cosmetic surgery, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). Nearly two-thirds of them were between ages 35 and 64, and many were youth-conscious baby boomers. The popularity of television shows like "Extreme Makeover," an ABC reality show that features the radical transformations of ordinary people through extensive plastic surgery, and the FX cable drama "Nip/Tuck," about the exploits of two Miami surgeons, has made such operations seem more acceptable. .
Hopkins's entry into the field is a harbinger of trends in medicine, according to Scott L.
