Instagram for physicians & surgeons: An invited article for Healio.com

Instagram for Physicians and Surgeons:
5 Tips from @nyplasticsurgeon

This is an invited article for online physican magazine Healio.com.

Although many traditionalist physicians and surgeons-- including myself-- have at some point been reluctant to embrace the internet as a professional tool, it's impossible to deny that the digital era has arrived. According to the Pew Research Center, 87% of American adults use the internet, 58% own a smartphone, and 72% of internet users say they looked online for health information within the past year.

Most healthcare professionals are familiar with websites, blogs, Facebook, and Twitter as professional development tools, but the latest and greatest social media app is Instagram.

With over 300 million users sharing 70 million photos and videos a day, Instagram has grown since 2010 into a large, loyal online community dedicated to sharing visual images. Many studies have analyzed Instagram demographics, and they suggest that Instagram has the most engaged user community of any social media app. It also tends to attract a younger, more affluent, and more city-centric group.

So how can you integrate a potentially frivolous application like Instagram into a serious medical practice, without losing your gravitas? Here are 5 tips.

Click the icon below to read them on Healio.com.

Click here to read my 5 tips and the full article on Healio.com.

Click to follow me @nyplasticsurgeon

Orbital Fractures

An orbital floor fracture. Actual patient of Dr. Devgan.

The orbit is the term used to describe the bony eye socket-- the set of bones that form the structure around your eyeball. The orbit is frequently injured in traumatic situations-- such as a tennis ball hitting the eye, a punch during a physical altercation, a car accident, or anytime a hard object strikes the face.

The orbit is a special anatomic area because it is extremely important in keeping the facial proportions and structures in place. If you break bones of your orbit (get an orbital fracture), failing to treat it properly can cause permanent disfigurement.

An orbital floor titanium plate. Actual patient of Dr. Devgan.

The best ways to evaluate for an orbital fracture are being examined by a qualified plastic surgeon, and getting a CT scan (or CAT scan). If you have been struck in the face and have pain, swelling, or discomfort around your eye, I suggest you seek immediate medical treatment in the Emergency Room.

An orbital floor fracture with titanium plate in place. Actual patient of Dr. Devgan.

If you have questions or concerns about an orbital fracture, including an orbital floor fracture, orbital roof fracture, or orbital rim fracture, please call us at (212) 452-2400 or email info@LaraDevganMD.com.

Dr. Devgan Featured in the New York Times

Dr. Devgan is pleased to have been featured in iconic fashion photographer Bill Cunningham's column in the New York Times. She is featured alongside a number of fellow art patrons and supporters of the Frick Collection.

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Love your Lips

Your lips are essential for some of the best things in life: speaking, eating, smiling, and kissing. Besides that, they are a visual focal point of the face and are often associated with sensuality and sex-appeal. 

This patient underwent injectable lip filler with very natural results.

Gorgeous, full lips can improve your facial balance and add a subtle allure to your look. Injectable filler such as Restylane or Juvederm gives you more lush lips immediately, with almost no downtime, and results last for 3-4 months.

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Actual patient of Dr. Devgan, before and after surgical repair of lip laceration.

Because the lips contrast with the facial skin in color and texture, a discrepancy as small as 1 mm is visually apparent at a normal conversational distance. Lip injuries that cross the vermillion border (red-white junction), the mucosa (the wet lip), or the tubercle (the central lip) require immediate attention and should be taken seriously.

For questions about your lips-- whether it is regarding a cosmetic improvement or a reconstructive repair-- please call our office at (212) 452-2400.

Reconstructive Hand Surgery

A recent patient of Dr. Devgan, who required repair of four injured tendons and a severed nerve, intraoperative.

The same patient, immediately postoperative. 

“Dr. Devgan, Thanks again for your great care. My hand is great and probably 90% back to normal. I have been diligent about my PT with a hand specialist back in Denver... My hand surgeon in Denver (Dr. _____) that has been treating me told me how impressed he was with the surgery you did on my hand. I really appreciate your great care while away from home in NYC.”

— JW, reconstructive surgery after severely mangling hand injury, 6/13/15

Hand Cuts, Open Wounds, and Other Traumatic Injuries

Traumatic hand injuries require early attention and meticulous care. Even simple-seeming injuries can have life-long consequences if they are not treated in a timely fashion.

The anatomy of the hands is incredibly complex, with an intricate network of arteries, veins, nerves, tendons, bones, and ligamentous structures held in a finely tuned balance. The hands, after all, are the workhorses of our bodies. They are responsible for many of the things that are inherent to our humanity: the ability to touch, caress, feel, write, communicate, lift, build, and interact. Taking good care of the hands is essential for keeping full use of these functions over the course of our lives.

If you sustain a hand injury-- even something that seems small at the time, such as slicing open a finger with a kitchen knife, or dislocating a fingertip while catching a ball-- please seek care from a qualified reconstructive hand surgeon. Both plastic surgeons and orthopedic surgeons are trained in functional hand surgery, and these two groups are considered the experts in this field.

If you have a hand emergency in New York City and you would like Dr. Devgan to evaluate you, please call her office at (212) 452-2400.