The plastic surgery industry is already a massive money-generating enterprise. Globe Newswire reports that the plastic surgery market is likely to be worth almost $67 billion by 2026. The competition is notably stiff in this discipline. Still, recent advances in technology have made it a lot easier to succeed in private practices. Dr. Humberto Palladino is no stranger to the field, but he's noted that it's evolved quite rapidly since he went into private practice. Here, he touches on some of the opportunities and challenges that the arena offers today that weren't available back in his day.
Utilizing the Internet for Marketing
When Dr. Palladino was doing his residency at the prestigious Mayo Clinic, social media wasn't much of a concern. Even accessing journals online through the internet was an outlier and not the norm. However, this aversion to technology has been almost erased. The journal Pharmacy and Therapeutics mention how useful social media can be for a medical practitioner. This push toward engaging with clients seems to be having a positive impact on the relationships between patients and their plastic surgeons. He also has an Instagram that he uses to highlight his work.
Massive Advances in Technology
One of the things he recognizes is how readily people accept technological advances today as compared to back when he started as a plastic surgeon. Developments such as high-speed connections and even smartphones make life a lot easier for individuals. Top Aesthetics, the doctor's practice in South Florida, has been developing an app for smartphones to enhance the user experience. The patient management dashboard that the doctor uses in his practice is also based heavily on technology. AI agents provide answers to queries, allowing the doctor to remain on top of things at all times.
COVID-19 Complications and Challenges
While the doctor may have faced a few minor challenges last year, his most daunting obstacle was coping with the pandemic. Luckily, his practice had already instituted several forward-thinking measures such as telemedicine and video conferencing follow-ups, making it easy to transition into a remote working lifestyle. Even after the pandemic, the doctor intends to continue offering some of these services because of the convenience. The challenge of the virus was further balanced by allowing people ample time to recover after their cosmetic surgery. As with most things, the pandemic both positively and negatively impacted the industry.
The Future of the Industry
The surgeon is wary about trying to predict something as unpredictable as the future of the discipline. He notes that technology use will continue to soar and believes many other plastic surgeons will offer remote services just like he intends to. He does, however, expect more doctors to look into using AI bots and other advanced technology in their private practices to manage the patient load and scalability of their businesses. Only time will tell if he's right about these opinions.
