MedEsthetics magazines offers business education and in-depth coverage of the latest noninvasive cosmetic procedures for physicians and practice managers working in the medical aesthetics industry.
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48 MAY/JUNE 2016 | Med Esthetics never forgets that he's a physician fi rst and an aesthetic surgeon second. "My mantra is: 'Make the inside work as well as the outside looks.' We have a lot of celebrities and performers as patients, and the classic nightmare for a singer undergoing plastic surgery is that it's going to change their voice," he says. "My patients know that when they come here, we are as concerned about their voices and performances as we are with their outside appearances." Dr. Alessi has also developed a good reputation around Hollywood as an injector who will not make people look frozen or overstuffed. "Patients can come to our offi ce assured that we're not going to do either one of those things to them, and I'm also friendly and approachable," he says. "They know they can talk to me about any procedure or concern. One thing I would never ever do is judge a patient." Setting the Scene When patients walk through the door of the Alessi Institute, most have no idea that it offers clinical ENT services. The offi ce is specifi cally designed to look like a living room. "We wanted to create a clean, relaxed, casual environment. It's always an argument back and forth with my consultant in terms of pamphlets; we have very few pamphlets anywhere in the front offi ce," says Dr. Alessi. "The desk is a very beautiful onyx, and it's backlit. The examination rooms feature artwork on the walls." The staff is trained to talk about the cosmetic procedures with the ENT patients, and Dr. Alessi notes that 90% of patients—even those just coming in for ear wax—will have their interest piqued and will want to talk about his aesthetic offerings. "Ten percent of patients will be insulted by it—you don't want to lose those ENT patients, so my staff is well trained to back out quickly and say, 'I'm sorry for bringing that up, but Dr. Alessi is a great ENT and will be happy to see you for that.' Then we never mention it again," he says. "But it opens a window with the other 90%." Torn between academia and entrepreneurship, Dr. Alessi started his career at Cedars Sinai Medical Center before launching the Alessi Institute for Facial Plastic Surgery. "Patients are willing to pay more for the perceived sense of quality that comes from seeing an MD." CLINICAL AND AESTHETIC SYNERGY