Dr. Kenneth O. Rothaus: “Devote as much time as needed to listen to your patient”
Devote as much time as needed to listen to your patient — When I was 4th year medical student, my mentor was William Silen, MD,the chief of surgery at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston. He was asked to consult on a patient admitted to the hospital with severe abdominal pain. Her physicians and consultants were stumped as to the cause. I was rotating on his service and Dr. Silen asked me to accompany him. He sat down and spoke with the patient for what seemed like forever at the time, but was probably only slightly more than an hour. He left the patient’s room with the correct diagnosis which was later confirmed with the appropriate test. All just from taking the time to listen to the patient’s story.
As part of my series about leadership lessons from successful medical professionals, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Kenneth O. Rothaus, a leading cosmetic surgeon. Kenneth O. Rothaus, MD, a Manhattan based plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, has more than 3 decades of experience in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery for the face, breast, body, hair and skin. The founder of Rothaus Plastic Surgery, Dr. Rothaus has his offices and medspa in New York City and White Plains, New York. He graduated with both academic and research honors from Yale College and the Harvard Medical School. He trained in general surgery for his internship and residency at the Presbyterian Hospital- Columbia University Medical Center. He was a plastic surgery resident and fellow at the New York Hospital-Cornell University Medical Center, to which he returned as an attending staff and faculty member after completing a microsurgical fellowship. He specializes in cosmetic surgical procedures with an emphasis and interest in incorporating minimally invasive procedures, advanced laser and radio frequency technology, and the full spectrum of injectables. He has medical privileges at the New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical Center and the Hospital for Special Surgery. Additionally he has authored two books; Minimally Invasive Rejuvenation of the Face and Neck, An Issue of Clinics in Plastic Surgery and Hospital Smarts. His work includes many clinical trials of laser and other nonsurgical procedures and he has received numerous patents for research from his laboratory. He supports numerous charities, including The Pink Agenda.
Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path as a cosmetic surgeon
It was more an evolution than a specific story. I started in my career as a surgeon wanting to be a cardiac surgeon. During my training, I rotated on a plastic surgery service and fell in love with the creativity and variety of the procedures done by plastic surgeons. Coincidentally, during my rotation, the American Society of Plastic Surgery was holding its annual meeting in Boston and I had the weekend off. I called my roommate from Harvard Medical School who was a resident in Boston and asked if I could crash on his couch. I drove to Boston, registered for the meeting, listened to every paper and lecture I could in two days, and returned to NY with a change in career plans.
Can you tell us a story about a mistake you made when you first started? Can you tell us what you learned from that?
I am not sure that I can pinpoint a mistake per se, but the training during residency does not cover all that is required to practice medicine. Once you start your own practice you learn that there is more to the practice of medicine and surgery than just the diagnosis and treatment of disease. The interaction with your patient (and their families) is complex and requires compassion, understanding, and patience.
Can you share three pieces of advice to other doctors to help their patients to thrive? Please include a story or example for each.
A) Devote as much time as needed to listen to your patient — When I was 4th year medical student, my mentor was William Silen, MD,the chief of surgery at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston. He was asked to consult on a patient admitted to the hospital with severe abdominal pain. Her physicians and consultants were stumped as to the cause. I was rotating on his service and Dr. Silen asked me to accompany him. He sat down and spoke with the patient for what seemed like forever at the time, but was probably only slightly more than an hour. He left the patient’s room with the correct diagnosis which was later confirmed with the appropriate test. All just from taking the time to listen to the patient’s story.
B) If you have several effectively equivalent treatment choices the simplest is probably the best for the patient. Several years ago, I was asked to consult on an elderly patient with a compound elbow fracture that required closure by a plastic surgeon. The patient’s initial plastic surgeon had recommended a treatment plan that would required a very long (>8 hours) and complex reconstructive procedure under a general anesthesia. The patient and family were justifiably concerned about the surgical plan and asked me for a second opinion. I recommend several smaller surgeries that could each be performed under a local anesthesia, be completed as an outpatient, and in a total time of about 1/2 that of the other procedure recommended. We were able to successfully reconstruct the patient’s elbow and the patient was able to sleep in her own bed each night.
C) Surround yourself with good people and listen to what they have to say. I have been very fortunate to work with very smart and devoted nurses, physician’s assistants, technicians, and office staff. They have to the person always been concerned about and attentive to the needs and well-being of our patients. Many times a patient will discuss things with the other professionals and staff in the office but not me, because they feel the “doctor is too busy” or “I don’t want to bother the doctor”. I was scheduled to perform a breast augmentation on a 21 year old woman. During her preoperative office visit a week before her surgery, she asked my PA, Bettye, for a recommendation for steroid cream to treat an area at the top of her pubis that was itchy. Bettye insisted that I examine the patient. I agreed although I assumed it was just going to be a rash. The patient had an early but aggressive skin cancer that needed removal. We postponed her breast surgery to take care of the skin tumor. Ignoring Bettye’s concerns could have had tragic consequences for this patient.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant to your life?
“Short cuts make long delays.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
Whether it is planning a complex surgical procedure, writing a paper, or just chores around the house, trying to take a short-cut most often will make the process more complex, take longer and be personally less satisfying.
Can you share your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became a Doctor”. Please include a story or example for each.
Dr. Rothaus: I am not sure how to answer this. This question implies to me that there are things that I should have been warned about before I became a doctor but in reality I love medicine, taking care of patients and the satisfaction of achieving the best result possible for my patients.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
I would certainly love to be known for inspiring a movement where we would all be able to live in a world free of racial and religious hate and devastating climate change.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
Instagram : @drrothaus and @agelessinnyc
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RothausPlasticSurgery/
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
