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James Green's Resume
Articles by James Green
About My Staff
"The doctor-patient relationship
is about having the patient's best
interests in mind. In elective
plastic surgery, there's nothing
wrong
with the health of the
person. It's still surgery. It's
about healing,
not hype."
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Dr. James Green works in the quiet simplicity of his Zen Buddhist-inspired office. A highly trained, well-accredited and widely
respected plastic surgeon, Dr. Green is concerned about the ways in which plastic surgery is being sold to people across America. Through his 20 year practice, Dr. Green has devoted his career to protecting patients from unnecessary and marginally effective procedures. Never trying to sell a product or procedure, he remains ethically committed to educating his patients with unbiased, objective, and expert counsel. Once an informed decision has been reached with a patient, Dr. Green and his staff use their considerable talents and abilities to perform world-class surgeries, on par with the most talented professionals in the nation.
Patients misinformed about plastic surgery – and those who are hurt by less experienced practitioners and brand new procedures – is what most concerns him. According to Dr. Green, these issues are the result of two different issues, including unqualified practitioners and an over-the-top marketing machine that has radically transformed the way plastic surgery is being packaged and sold.
"In our culture, we have extremely strong marketing," he said. "75% of our gross domestic product is consumer driven, and all media trumpets the value of the latest and greatest thing. That’s kind of an oxymoron, because in good science and good medicine, the newest thing is usually the least proven."
"Performance over time is what determines good medicine," says Dr. Green. Moreover, it's important for practitioners to really know what they're doing in order to perform good medicine.
"Many practitioners lack knowledge about the field," he said. "They attend a few seminars or clinics, which are oftentimes hosted by people who sell the very products that they want practitioners to use. You don't really want to fully trust a paper that's written by someone who owns the company that makes the product – it's like letting the fox guard the henhouse."
But perhaps the greatest single issue facing plastic surgery has to do with patient expectation and desire, which come from a combination of factors, including marketing, practitioner promises, and the media, which presents a continuous picture of "forever young" on the cover of magazines and on television. This is where the plastic surgeon may often find himself in the role of counselor – and Dr. Green brings his depth of training and compassionate ethics into his personal consultations
"The fact of the matter is that plastic surgery does not mean we're giving you a new nose or a new face," he said. "We're altering your face to change some of the characteristics of aging. This will make you look more youthful but it’s still you. It shouldn't look like it's not you and it shouldn’t look weird – because looking weird is far worse than looking old."
Ultimately, Dr. Green is motivated by what is best for his patients, regardless of the outcome for himself. Being a physician is a privilege, he says, which doctors often lose sight of in the pursuit of business.
"When people come to a doctor, they are putting their health and their lives in your hands,” he said. “You really have an obligation to give back in some way and not think about it purely with profit in mind. I don't want to do that. I want to tell people, 'Hey – I'm here, I'm well-qualified to deal with these issues, and we can talk about these things and see what's really right for you.'"
James Green's Resume
Articles by James Green
About My Staff
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