Area Women article

On the fringe of a quiet residential neighborhood off of 32nd Avenue South,The Plastic Surgery Institute and Skin Care Clinic was built and opened in January 1997.The center was designed and is operated by Dr. Ahmed Abdullah, a board-certified plastic surgeon and member of the the American Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons Society.

“My goal, and that of the staff of the Plastic Surgery Institute, PC., is to accommodate patients and clients to the best of our abilities and offer the latest cosmetic surgery techniques in a safe, confidential and caring setting."

It was critical to Abdullah to have a plastic surgery facility that offered a friendly, warm and ultra-confidential setting for patients and clients. "Most cosmetic surgery patients prefer anonymity and seek out facilities that offer them complete privacy, especially in their own community" said Abdullah. who practiced at Dakota Clinic, Ltd. from 1993 until 1996 when he left to pursue an independent medical practice.

"My goal, and that of the staff of the Plastic Surgery Institute. P.C., is to accommodate patients and clients to the best of our abilities and offer the latest cosmetic surgery techniques in a safe, confidential, and caring setting.”

The building houses a full operating room, anesthesia and recovery areas where a majority of out-patient cosmetic surgery procedures are performed. The operating room facilities are equipped with the latest equipment, including lasers, anesthesia machines, monitors and are maintained using the same sterile techniques as required in an out-patient surgery facility. A qualified anesthesiologist or Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist provides all anesthesia services for all surgical services.

Upon completion of surgery, the patient is transferred to the recovery area where a registered nurse monitors her recovery. The patient's family or friends are allowed to be with the patient in recovery, which is another comfort to many patients. After recovery, the patient is checked by Abdullah and discharged with proper follow-up instructions.

The facility is designed so that patients leave recovery through a different door so they are not seen by others in the facility.

The patient is then transferred to a local motel for the evening where Abdullah provides for a private-duty registered nurse to stay with the patient until she is seen back at the facility the next day.

Elective cosmetic patients not only receive the anonymity they desire, but the cost is also less than the traditional hospital or out-patient setting and includes one-on-one postoperative recovery the evening following surgery. Patients are then followed, at no additional charge, five times during the next year to insure complete recovery and success of the procedure.

Prior to any procedure, Abdullah and his staff spend a great deal of time with each patient. "I feel it is important to provide as much education and information to patients as possible. They need to feel informed about making health care decisions and I believe people are happier when they can do that.” To this end, Abdullah is available to patients via his clinic and telephone. It is not unusual for Abdullah to return calls after hours to answer questions for patients.

Abdullah specializes in the latest techniques for the following procedures:

• breast reconstruction, reduction, enlargement and lifts
• facelifts
• eyelid, nose. laser and external ear surgery
• liposuction
• laser skin resurfacing for wrinkle and facial scar removal
• hair replacement surgery
• facial skin care (chemical peel and dermabrasion)
• skin cancer surgery
• microvascular, reconstructive and burn surgery

Abdullah is currently working on the development of laser leg-vein surgery for eliminating spider veins and endermology, which is a vacuum system that, in combination with liposuction, helps to level out cellulite.

The area of cosmetic surgical technique is growing rapidly and Abdullah attends specific workshops, and training sessions prior to offering any new procedures. With patient safety a top priority, Abdullah develops the appropriate care plans and treatments procedures for patients opting for a new service.

Abdullah, along with registered nurse Melody Shawchuck, who is also a registered cosmetologist, provide Obagi peels, glycolic acid peels, laser skin resurfacing, laser hair removal and a variety of other skin care services.

Laser winkle and scar removal has been very successful with most patients seeing results almost immediately. Abdullah stresses that full healing for some of the procedures can take from one to two weeks depending on what the patients chooses to have done. In the majority of cases, makeup can be worn after one week. Some degree of redness may last for a few months depending on the patient's compliance to follow-up instructions and the condition of skin prior to the procedure.

Again. Abdullah stresses the importance of patients being presented with all the facts and information on any procedure so they can choose what is best for them. There have been some cases, where Abdullah may feel strongly that what the patient desires is not safe. At that point, he will recommend to those patients that they seek a second opinion.

To complement the procedures done at the Skin Care Clinic, Abdullah has formulated his own aloe-based skin care collection, LexLi, named after his sons Alex and Ali. Unlike the 90 percent of other skin care products on the market today that are primarily composed of water, LexLi products are composed primarily of aloe vera. This line will soon include products with glycolic acid, an exfoliating agent. LexLi International, Inc. is planning to market the products in the area in the near future.

The Plastic Surgery Institute. PC and Skin Care Clinic is located at 3280 20th Street South, Fargo. Further information can be obtained by calling (701) 293-7408 or (800) 352-0587. A story on the facility will appear in Time magazine, Sports Illustrated, Newsweek and the U.S. ews and World Report in early September.