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LifestyleTranscript
00:30What I love most about the Essence stage is that it brings the pages of Essence to life and it creates a safe space for us to have real conversations about the topics that influence our people each and every day.
00:45It's for us and it's by us. This next panel is no exception. We have brought the best practitioners and voices here today for a real and raw dialogue about medical procedures that range from veneers to BBLs.
01:03Oh, y'all done got quiet. Don't get quiet on me now, okay? All right, so, from veneers to BBLs and, oh, vaginoplasty. Okay, cool. I'm definitely gonna get that later on down the line.
01:18Without further ado, please welcome to the stage Essence content director, Nandi Howard, board-certified emergency medicine physician, Dr. Samson Davis,
01:35an emergency physician and founder and CEO of Advancing Health Equity, Dr. O'Shea Blackstock. Make some noise, y'all.
01:46Hey, y'all. Hey, y'all. We gotta give everybody a moment to walk up because as you guys can see, it's a long walkway.
01:53Okay, so, let's go ahead and get started. Okay, here they go, here they go, here they go. How's everybody doing? Good, good. Awesome.
02:05Hey, doctors. Let's give them another round of applause.
02:12Awesome, awesome.
02:17Hi. Nice to sit right here.
02:20How are you?
02:23Amazing. Well, let's go ahead and get started. I feel like this is such an important conversation to have right now
02:29because we know everywhere on social media, I feel like we see new bodies every single day.
02:36So, my name is Nandi Howard. I am the content director and I'm so excited that I get to host and moderate this next conversation
02:42because it's truly a much-needed conversation in our community to have.
02:46We are about to get into the to-do or not-to-do BBLs, vinoplasty, and veneers.
02:53So, all right, let's dive right in and talk about the ever-popular BBL.
02:58Just so we're all on the same page, Dr. Blackstock, can you explain to us what is actually involved in a procedure like a Brazilian butt lift?
03:05Yes. Hi, can everyone hear me?
03:07It's a little low.
03:07Okay, yeah, it's a little bit low.
03:09There we go. There we go.
03:09Okay, thank you. Thanks so much for having me.
03:11Of course.
03:12So, you know, this procedure is a procedure that is growing significantly in popularity,
03:17but I think people should know that it's a procedure that comes with risk.
03:22Essentially, what it does is you have liposuction, fat removal from certain parts of your body,
03:28abdomen, flanks, back, and thighs, and that fat is essentially put into your buttocks region.
03:34The reason why it is potentially dangerous is that you have a lot of blood vessels in your backside, right?
03:43And so if you inject into one of those blood vessels and fat goes into there, you can actually get an embolism.
03:50So a piece of fat can go to your lungs, can go to your heart, and can cause a cardiac arrest.
03:55And I think we've seen that happen to people.
03:58Yeah.
03:58And so that is why this could be potentially very dangerous and why it's important to identify a surgeon that is skilled in doing this procedure.
04:09And we saw that even in the last few years, about 20,000 BBLs being done per year, and that number is increasing significantly.
04:20Yeah.
04:20What would you say for someone who's trying to look for the right doctor, if they were to get this procedure,
04:25what are some things that they should be looking out for?
04:27Yes.
04:28So I would say for a lot of cosmetic procedures, especially a BBL procedure, you want to make sure you know what the board certification of the doctor is that you are working with.
04:39The other thing is people need to know that there is a difference between a cosmetic surgeon and a plastic surgeon.
04:47Right.
04:48A plastic surgeon is someone who has completed a full residency that's usually five, six years in plastic surgery.
04:56A cosmetic surgeon can actually be any kind of doctor.
05:01Yeah.
05:01Okay.
05:01So it could be a general surgeon.
05:04It could be a pediatrician.
05:05It could be an OBGYN that has become boarded in cosmetic surgery.
05:11So you kind of have to ask yourself, you know, what you are comfortable with.
05:15Right.
05:15You also then want to find out, you know, how many procedures has this physician done?
05:20You want to know what their education and training specifically are.
05:24And then you want to, you know, interview them.
05:27You want to vet them.
05:28So you want to go for consultation, see what this physician's bedside manner is, see how, what their aesthetic is.
05:36So you also want to ask them, can you show me pictures of work that you've done to see if that agrees with the aesthetic that you want, you want, you know, on your own body.
05:46And you want to ask them about how they handle complications.
05:50And so if the look ultimately is not a look that you want, or if you're having complications right after surgery, are you going to be able to get in touch with them?
05:58And then finally, you want to make sure that where the surgery is being performed is somewhere that is accredited.
06:05So you want to make sure that they have all of the proper life-saving equipment there in case, because usually it's done, some of these procedures are done outpatient.
06:15So it could be at a clinic somewhere that they have the appropriate staff, like anesthesia, as well as life-saving equipment in case there are complications.
06:26And then the last thing is you want to make sure they have admitting privileges to a hospital.
06:31So if you end up needing to stay and be admitted to a hospital, that they have somewhere to admit you to.
06:38Absolutely. So it's like, just like we go into the doctor's office and they ask us questions, we should be doing the same thing.
06:43Absolutely. You have to, this has to be an empowering process.
06:46And I think especially because this procedure can be so incredibly risky, you want to make sure that the person that you are, that's going to operate on you is someone that you trust essentially with your life.
06:58Absolutely. Dr. Davis, you're an emergency medicine physician.
07:02And so in your experience and practice, have you seen an increase in these procedures being done?
07:06And are there serious side effects that could actually land you in the ER?
07:10Yeah, I mean, with COVID and just with progression of time, we're seeing these procedures done more often.
07:1840% increase from 2015 to 2019.
07:22And those numbers are only increasing.
07:24So to Dr. Blackstone's point, like, you have to make sure you go to a physician that is board certified, that is accredited.
07:32Because what happens is if you go, I have a lot of friends that go overseas, you know.
07:37Yeah, yeah.
07:38And they take that plane.
07:38And we see that on social media a lot, too.
07:40And they go overseas.
07:41And, you know, you want to do your research.
07:44So this is like something on a risk.
07:45And the complication here is that the vessels, the blood vessels, you have two arteries, just for a name's sake, superior gluteal and inferior gluteal artery.
07:57And you have the vein system.
07:58So what happens is if you do the implants wrong or if you do the fat transfer, the liposuction wrong, you can get a fat embolism, as Dr. Blackstone mentioned, that can kill you.
08:08And you can have complications, infections.
08:10So we see infections, we see people coming back to the States, they come into the ER, and they have side effects from the surgery.
08:18So you just want to do your research, you want to do your due diligence.
08:22And I don't have a problem with going anywhere you need to go.
08:24I think a board certified physician, so board certified, they train, they took special tests to be labeled as board certified.
08:31But if you're going to go someplace that's not board certified, I mean, I want to go somewhere that has north of 10, 15, 20,000 surgeries performed so that I can feel like this is the best place.
08:42So they have quantity in hand, so I know that they understand what could potentially go wrong.
08:47So I don't think this is going to go away.
08:50And I think it's okay.
08:51That's fine.
08:52It's your choice.
08:53But at the same time, it's just like anything else.
08:55You want to make sure.
08:57Sometimes I see patients in the ER and say, who did your surgery?
08:59And they say, I don't know.
09:00I say, how do you want to know who did your surgery?
09:02Right, right.
09:02You just let anybody cut you?
09:03Right.
09:04Yeah, that's important.
09:04You have to know who did your surgery so you just got that wealth of knowledge.
09:08And I think the challenge is that sometimes we're so just like, I took this leap that we don't do the next step, which is the diligence, right?
09:16So I took the leap because it takes a while to realize I wanted to take this chance at doing this.
09:21But once you take that chance, you still got to do your homework and make sure everything's aligned and in perfect order.
09:26Yeah.
09:27Wait, can I add something?
09:27No, you just reminded me two things.
09:31One is that people need to know if you're going to have surgery in another country, right, and you have complications when you get back, there are very few doctors that are going to want to reoperate on you.
09:44So like that and that's the issue because they don't have proper documentation of what was done in that other country or things may have been done differently.
09:52So that is something that people really have to keep in mind, like especially a really good doctor, a good surgeon is going to be like, not right now.
10:03Right, right, right.
10:03Like not right now.
10:04Like, you know, maybe we'll wait a year, see how everything looks, and then we'll go back in.
10:09And then the other thing is they have these like, these plastic surgery factories.
10:15No, even here in the States where like they specialize in doing these procedures, and so people don't know who their doctor is because the doctor that you consulted with is not the one that's even operating on you.
10:28So I would say be very, very wary of these practices where there are multiple, you know, health professionals rotating through them that you don't know if the person that did the surgery is the same one you're going to follow up with.
10:41Yeah.
10:41And I think because it's become so affordable, you know, plastic surgery overall has become much, much more affordable, and that's why it's accessible to more people, which I think is great.
10:51But part of that is then you have these, you know, factory mills that are opening up that I don't think necessarily have the best interest of the patients at hand.
11:01Yeah, I wanted to talk about interest because I'm sure in both of you cases you get a lot of different age groups that come to you.
11:07Is this something that I'm sure as with social media and sort of that influence, do you guys maybe encourage somebody to do it because they really want to do it rather than seeing someone just on social media or as doctors?
11:20Do you kind of step out of that decision, you know, with you in the ER?
11:24Do you guys step out of, put your opinion, take it out of that situation and just kind of give them the best medical advice?
11:30Is there any advice there or do you guys kind of take a step back?
11:33No, I mean, I think it's important to take a step back.
11:35We recognize the role of social media in, you know, our lives right now.
11:40We recognize that we're inundated with images of bodies that now almost, it's almost like that body has become the norm.
11:48Yeah, yeah.
11:48And so, but I also think that, you know, especially women should feel empowered to do what they think is right for them.
11:55We just want to make sure that people have all of the information that is correct and accurate so that they can make informed decisions and decisions that are safest for themselves.
12:05So, like, all of those things we were just talking about, things to look for in your doctor are things that we want to make sure that people are doing that checklist before they go to seek, you know, a consultation.
12:16And if I can add, I think, you know, we have to keep in mind, like, this is a lifestyle modification.
12:22It's not one glove fit all.
12:25So, it's your diet, it's exercise, it's whatever procedure you want to have.
12:29And I think what we're saying here is, like, it's not up to us to judge what you want to have done, right?
12:36Right, absolutely.
12:36Exactly.
12:36But we're here to support you and to make sure it's done the safest way.
12:39Yeah.
12:39But I swear, I wish there was one magic pill to fix it all, but there's not.
12:42Yeah, yeah, yeah.
12:43So, it's all adjustments, and I think you have to do your due diligence and stay true to it.
12:48I mean, I think there's a saying that, you know, you have to stay true, you have to run the course, you know, as each step counts.
12:56You know, Rome wasn't built in a day, per se.
12:58Yeah.
12:58And so, it's staying that course, it's staying diligent to it and true to it.
13:01And then you would get the desired effect that you want because we're all trying to achieve something as far as where do I want to land with this.
13:07So, you could go get the surgery, but it's not going to fix everything.
13:11So, you got to make sure that you balance everything to make sure that you get your result that you're looking for.
13:15Yeah, and I also want to say, like, I know, like, there's a lot of pressure on women in general.
13:20And then especially after we have children, you know, our bodies change and no one really talks about that change and how do you process it, how do you deal with it.
13:29And so, if for some women, you know, having a mommy makeover is something that makes them feel a little bit better about themselves, then, you know, more power to you.
13:39But just do it, you know, we want you to do it with making sure you have all the information you need in hand.
13:45Yeah.
13:45And not to take away your thunder, but men are getting a procedure too.
13:48Yeah, they are.
13:49They are.
13:50The abs sketching and stuff like that.
13:51I just wanted you.
13:52I haven't done it yet, but I was letting you know.
13:54No, that's true.
13:55I did see the abs stitching on this.
13:58I forgot this guy.
13:59I was shocked.
14:01Yeah.
14:01I couldn't believe it.
14:03It's like, you know, it's not just gender specific, you know.
14:07I wanted to talk about aftercare because you both have mentioned that.
14:09How important is aftercare, whether it's BBLs, whether it's veneers, whether it's, you know, anything.
14:16How important is that?
14:17No, it's incredibly important.
14:20One, two, making sure that everything heals properly, that you don't get an infection.
14:24Because the other thing to keep in mind is, you know, when you have surgery, it's basically opening the barrier between you and the outside environment.
14:32So one thing you really have to worry about is infection.
14:36Yeah.
14:36So keeping those areas that were operated on very, very clean.
14:40And then some of these surgeries, especially like BBL, the recovery time is very long.
14:46It's like six to eight weeks.
14:48You can't sit in certain positions.
14:50You have to lay on your belly.
14:51You have to be really in tune to symptoms that you're having, symptoms of pain.
14:56So I think it's really best to follow your health professional's advice so you know what red flags and warning signs to look out for.
15:03Like fever, chills, if the area is very red, if it gets very hot, if you start noticing, you know, pus from the area.
15:10You want to be very vigilant in making sure that you get that checked out.
15:15Yeah.
15:15Yeah, I mean, the aftercare to me is just as important as the surgery.
15:18Yeah.
15:19You know, because even if we're not even talking cosmetic, any surgical procedure, whether you have a knee replacement or ACL tear, that physical therapy portion of that aftercare is as much as important as the surgical process.
15:34Because in order for you to build strength and to get the results that you want, it's a two-way street.
15:40You got to participate in your aftercare as well.
15:42Very important.
15:42No, absolutely.
15:44Dr. Blackstock, we know you've been an advocate for the exposure of racism and bias in healthcare.
15:49And Dr. Davis, I want you to step in here too.
15:51How important is it for us as a black community to seek out medical professionals of color to do procedures like this?
15:58Is it necessary or is it optional?
16:00So I would say, obviously, most importantly is that your health professional is qualified.
16:05You know, and obviously, I think that often having black physicians, black nurses, other health professionals is so, so important to having someone who understands where you're coming from.
16:19You know, obviously, we know the challenge is there's so very few of us.
16:22But, you know, I'm always there and there are directories always online where you can find black health professionals.
16:30So I know even for me, as a black physician, I look for black health professionals.
16:35Right, right.
16:36Like my dermatologist is a black woman, you know, and I've been with her for like 15 years because I trust her.
16:44I know she knows my skin well, and I know she, like, she listens to me and understands me.
16:50So I think that we have to make it more accessible to patients to be able to find those black health professionals that they need.
16:57And obviously, we talk about this all the time, like the pipeline, making sure we have the pipeline of students and, you know, trainees and programs in place so that our numbers don't decrease.
17:08Although, you know, the events of this past week may compromise that, you know, the Supreme Court ruling.
17:14Right, yeah.
17:15But I think our presence is so very, very important because we get it.
17:20Like we get what our patients are going through.
17:23We've been through a lot of it ourselves, and we can listen to them.
17:26I love that.
17:27What about you, Dr. Davis?
17:28How important is it?
17:29Yeah, I mean, representation is important.
17:31Yeah.
17:31It's super important.
17:32I mean, you know, African-Americans, we make up 12, 13, 14 percent of the population, but only 3 percent of physicians.
17:40Wow.
17:40So there's a huge disparity there.
17:42And I think that in order for us to even have a conversation, it has to be equally set.
17:48And so we're not there yet.
17:50To Dr. Blackstone's point, like, I think it's important, but you want to go to somebody that you trust, first and foremost, right?
17:57Regardless of the skin color, but cultural sensitivity is huge.
18:01It's huge because we have found, studies have shown that you're more likely to take your medication, follow the regimen, show up for appointments, be compliant if you can relate to the person that's providing the care to you.
18:12So it's important.
18:14So for everybody sitting in the audience, all your sons, your daughters, your nieces, your nephews, I mean, we need more health care professionals.
18:21There's no doubt about it.
18:22Yeah.
18:22And that's what we're working to do, but I've been practicing for 20-plus years, and I haven't seen a change.
18:29And so, you know, it's, I just think it's of utmost importance.
18:33We talk about cosmetic, but just in health care alone, if we talk about what's killing our people is hypertension, is diabetes, is heart disease.
18:41So these are all things that we can really, really control, but we just have to get the motivation around it and have someone who looks like us, talking to us,
18:50making us feel comfortable about discussing issues that are very, that are very sensitive, but feel very comfortable opening up about them.
18:58Yeah, yeah, yeah.
18:58So both of you have said making sure you're doing the proper research to vet your doctor.
19:03Could you give us maybe some resources that we could find doctors in any field?
19:09Sure.
19:09So specifically for black women, there's Health in Her Hue.
19:13Okay.
19:14And they actually, I think, have an event here at Essence Fest.
19:16So Health in Her Hue, definitely go online and check them out.
19:20They have vetted a list of health professionals of, you know, actually all different backgrounds.
19:26But the key is that they are all, they all signed up and are ready to treat black women.
19:31Also, National Medical Association is the oldest and largest organization of black doctors.
19:37If you go on their website, they have contact information for different states and cities where you can find black health professionals.
19:43So those are two resources that I would recommend.
19:47Yeah, and ask a friend.
19:49Yeah.
19:49Ask a friend.
19:49Right, right.
19:50Like, ask around and see.
19:52You know, I have a few friends who are physicians, but they are so inundated.
19:57They're overwhelmed because the demand is high.
20:00The demand is very high.
20:01But ask a friend, ask around and, you know, see.
20:05And I think when, you know, the one thing I remember when I used to go to the doctor when I was a kid, my mother would dress me up and put baby powder all over me.
20:12Right.
20:12I don't know what that was about.
20:13Right.
20:14And so she would do those things like I was interviewing for the doctor, but you're not interviewing for the doctor.
20:19Right.
20:19So you have to be very comfortable with your position.
20:23And please, please, please, no question is embarrassing.
20:27Right.
20:27Ask the question.
20:28We've seen it all.
20:29I've seen everything you could imagine underneath the sun.
20:32I know.
20:32We see everything.
20:33Yeah, yeah, yeah.
20:33I'm emergency too.
20:34Doctor too.
20:35Yes.
20:35We've seen it all.
20:36So ask away because sometimes around that question is the answer to where you're going.
20:43Like what you need to really push the needle to get you to where you want to go.
20:47Okay.
20:47Can you say one other thing?
20:48Yes, of course.
20:48I think it's also important, like we were saying, you know, you have to vet your doctors and your other health professionals.
20:54Like if you have someone, a doctor you feel like is not listening to you or minimizing what you're saying or you keep bringing something up to that person, get a second opinion.
21:03Get a third opinion.
21:04Like you don't have to stay with that person.
21:07Also, I always encourage people to bring a family member or their partner or close friend with them to an appointment because sometimes you're so distracted.
21:16You can't really focus or ask the questions that you want to, it's good to have someone else there on your side to also talk to the doctor.
21:22Yeah, and then last question as we wrap up.
21:25I wanted to know you guys said, especially you, Dr. Davis, that you've been in the industry but you haven't necessarily seen a big leap or change with black physicians or physicians of color.
21:34Is there just any advice that you could give the audience who may be particularly looking to get into that field or a little nervous or anything like that?
21:43Yeah, you know, I think the road to becoming a physician or a nurse practitioner or a physician assistant, it's a long road and it's a daunting road in the mind.
21:53Like I can't do this.
21:54Right.
21:54But meanwhile, the time goes by.
21:56Like you do get supported.
21:58You're living your life.
21:59It's not like every life stops.
22:01Yeah.
22:01You know what I mean?
22:02Like you're living your life.
22:03Like when I looked at it coming out of high school, like man, eight years?
22:08Eight years?
22:09Oh my God, like I can't do eight years, but the time goes by and so, and we need, we need us.
22:15We need us to be up here professionals.
22:18So, I mean, it's a rewarding career.
22:20Just like any other industry, you got to figure out to make it work for you.
22:24But at the same time, like I leave fulfilled every day that I practice medicine.
22:30Absolutely.
22:30Yeah, and I would just add, so I'm fortunate.
22:33I'm second generation black woman physician.
22:36My mother was a doctor.
22:37So, I grew up thinking that all doctors were black because my pediatrician was black.
22:44She would take us to the local meetings of black doctors.
22:46And I didn't realize until I got like 12, 13, that wasn't the case.
22:50I was like, oh, wow.
22:51And I realized there's such a need for us.
22:54And so, yeah, we are needed so much out there to help in our communities because many of us,
23:00the reason why we want to be doctors is because we want to help serve our communities.
23:03Absolutely.
23:04It's not necessarily just about the individual success.
23:07This means more than that to us.
23:09And so, I would tell people if you're interested, definitely reach out to someone you know who's
23:13in the health professions.
23:15There are a lot of organizations out there like Pipeline Programs that can help people
23:18get started.
23:19Awesome.
23:20So, keep going.
23:21Well, thank you, Dr. Blackstock, Dr. Davis.
23:23If anyone doesn't tell you, we appreciate you for all your service.
23:26Can we give a round of applause for everyone?
23:28Thank you, guys, so much.
23:30All right.
23:31We're done.
23:32Thank you, guys.
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