Medical Spa MD’s plastic surgery and cosmetic dermatology forums are the scene of an unlikely brouhaha that’s more than just uncommon in medicine, it’s unheard of.

Growing increasingly frustrated by what cosmetic dermatologists see as an manufactured silence and infuriating lack of clinical support from cosmetic laser and IPL companies, doctors have taken their anger public in a kind of free-for-all dog pile that you don’t usually see from plastic surgeons. A publicly viewed outing where ‘names are named’ and fingers are pointed directly at the management teams of cosmetic laser and IPL companies.

At times, entire strings of emails are published detailing conversations and publicly embarrassing top executives and even cosmetic dermatologists that act as luminary spokespeople for these companies. It’s as though the physicians have decided to play hard ball.

There’s still some common sense left. Most of the physicians comments are made anonymously and the medical discussion forums that host these discussions protect the physicians who wish to remain under some level of secrecy.

The sites hosting these plastic surgeons forums have had some public headaches of their own. Medical Spa MD, the webs most prominent forum for physicians in cosmetic medicine has been served with letters and threats from lawyers for daring to make these forum discussions public. So far it hasn’t worked.

“We’ve received a number of nasty-grams”, says the publisher of Medical Spa MD, “but censoring public discourse between physicians is not what forums are about. The cosmetic dermatologists on the site are directly responsible for what they post and commenting that their opinion is that they’re not receiving sufficient support from the cosmetic laser companies is just that, their opinion.”

The issues are complicated by the support that the plastic surgeons are demanding, leaving the IPL and laser companies in the awkward position of alienating their physicians as customers, or providing information for treatments that could easily be considered as off-label used by the FDA and open them up to potentially hazardous liability claims from patients and cosmetic surgeons.

The topic is not likely to go away soon. Information that’s disseminated publicly on the web has a long shelf life and it’s obvious that technology companies are now taking notice. In some cases laser companies have actively joined in the discussion forums and proactively address concerns of individuals as soon as they’re posted, leaving an impression of healthy and proactive customer support. These tactics seem to be working. The IPL and laser manufactures who are active have a much lower incidence of negative comments from physicians who see their calls for support go unanswered.

In the end it’s a money game. Many plastic surgeons who are looking for new IPL and laser technology are finding their way to these forums and asking their more experienced peers for advice. IPL and laser manufacturers who aren’t playing the game can’t expect to win.

Medical Spa MD is a cosmetic medical community of Plastic Surgeons, Cosmetic Dermatologists, and Aesthetic Physicians with more than 3,500 physician members. Medical Spa MD offers Medical Esthetician Training and provides information on non-surgical cosmetic medical technologies and treatments.

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