The mountains and the beach. The peaks and the valleys. East and west. There are always at least two equal and opposite ways of doing anything. Between Aspen, Colorado and Los Angeles, California, Dr. Peter Fodor splits his time managing two distinct practices. Both meet the highest standards in plastic surgery protocol while appealing to very different clienteles.
By Peter B. Fodor, MD
and Chris Knisley
ThePlasticSurgeryChannel.com
For many years, Dr. Fodor has maintained a successful practice in coastal Los Angeles. But in the last three years he has opened up shop in the mountains of Colorado.
As different as the two locales are geographically, they are equally different in their approaches to plastic surgery. While Los Angeles natives are more likely to run around in swimsuits and talk openly of their surgical escapades, Aspenites take a more subtle position.
Dr. Fodor is all too familiar with the differences in patients’ attitudes from region to region. “It’s not uncommon for LA patients to tell their girlfriends, ‘Let me take you to the bathroom and show you my new breasts!’”
Patients in Aspen are typically very health-conscious and active. They are more likely to demand a nuanced operation that would go unnoticed to the uncritical observer. And being so eager to get physical, the typical Aspen patient is under strict orders from Dr. Fodor to take it easy after surgery so not to jeopardize the recovery process.
“I had a patient who, seven or eight days after a bilateral facelift when we removed all of the sutures, was doing extremely well. Then she wants to go home and do pushups.”
Flying back and forth between two distant locations could prove difficult for both doctor and patient and the relationship they develop between them. However, Dr. Fodor is keen to avoid complications by keeping a strict surgical schedule that allows him to be present for at least a week after an operation, no matter the city.
“I will never do an operation in LA or in Aspen that two to three days later I leave town. I do the surgery when I have plenty of time to follow-up with patients, and all the important side effects or issues happen within the first five to eight to ten days. I would never operate and leave.”
Dr. Fodor admits, more times than not, patients leave town before he does!
In all cases, safety is the number one priority. And while it doesn’t take much to keep Angelenos from overdoing it after surgery, active Aspenites are reminded to keep their cool.