Brian Buinewicz MD, Plastic Surgeon At Le MedSpa In New Jersey

Juggling tasks at the medspa, at a hospital and at the university is no easy task. Let's see how Dr. Buinewicz handle multiple responsibilities and manage priorities.

Name: Dr. Brian Buinewicz
Clinic: Le MedSpa of Buckingham and Flemington
Location: Doylestown, PA and Flemington, NJ
Website: lemedspabucks.com

Your clinic basically offers a holistic approach in a sense that it covers everything from face, to body and even health and nutrition. How did you grow your business? How is your clinic organized? 

Our practice is a dual physician based practice covering all of the patient’s needs from nutrition, exercise, primary health care, weight management in addition to our full service medical spa and plastic surgery services. The business grew naturally by constantly offering the best and newest treatments for our patients. We evolved over the years to have a “tool chest” full of options to offer our patients, not just surgical intervention, for example. When the only tool you have is a hammer, the whole world becomes a nail.

What challenges did you face when you started your clinic? 

It’s not really about challenges, but following our practice mission statement - we are one practice, one team dedicated to each and every patient to achieve the optimum result. As long as we treat each patient with this in mind, we will succeed. The only real challenge is juggling our schedules between two offices and the OR. We typically start at 9am every day with evening hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. And even the plastic surgeon is known to make house calls when necessary!

You're running your clinic aside from being the Chief of Division of Plastic Surgery at Abington Memorial Hospital and Clinical Instructor at the Temple University School of Medicine and Surgery. What have you learned about 'business' as a physician and how have you separated or combined the two?

The practice of medicine is an art and science. The business of medicine is entirely separate, and cannot take priority over the practice of medicine.

You offer a wide range of treatments and services. What treatment modalities are the most profitable?

Our non surgical facial procedures have been the most effective in generating new patients, return patients and income. These include injectables such as Botox, Juvederm, Radiesse, Sculptra as well as photofacials, photorejuvenation procedures and most recently Clear and Brilliant fractional laser treatments and Ultherapy.

More and more patients want in office procedures with little or no down time and try to postpone the bigger surgical interventions that require recovery time when they can. By offering a full treatment option palette, we capture and maintain our patient base. 

You're using Ulthera, Liposonix and IPL in your clinic. These in particular are non invasive treatments. Do you see the invasive treatments phasing out? or are they here to stay? How do you manage technology purchases? What technologies do you like? Which do you dislike and why? Have you every phased out a treatment? What made you come to that decision? 

These non invasive treatments are unique in the use of focused ultrasound to lift tissue (Ulthera) and “melt” fat (Liposonix). They do not replace invasive procedures, and the danger lies in not understanding the technology and what it can or cannot accomplish. We constantly search for new and emerging technologies and try to base our acquisitions of sound data before committing to a purchase. We have phased out treatments, such as Thermage, because of newer technologies and better results. You live and learn!

What has been your experience with your technology company? How do you decide on purchases?

You as a physician must base your decision to add new technologies to your practice on sound science and medicine. Patients always come first, and you want to make sure you first do no harm, but also deliver a result within reasonable expectations. Make your purchases based on good science and sound data only!

Since you were able to put up 2 clinics, business must be booming. Care to share your marketing secrets? 

We are very diligent in continuing practice development, education of our staff and patients and maintaining an active community presence. Our best marketing is a happy patient! We have evolved form print to electronic marketing, and I would shy away from radio or TV unless you have a large marketing budget and well planned campaign.

Are your patients inquiring about nonsurgical options or are most of them already familiar with the procedure. Since non-invasive treatments are relatively new, do you see invasive counterparts of these treatments phasing out?

Our patients are on the whole well educated and have done their homework before their visits. Our job is to guide them based on our knowledge and experience what works and what doesn’t, especially for each individual patient and their needs.

Which technologies do you see being developed that might impact a plastic surgeon? Do you see it happening soon?

Tissue engineering is the new frontier! It will be an exciting time for plastic surgeons.

What's the best advice you've ever received as a physician?

In order to make an omelet, you need to break a few eggs. Learn from your mistakes.

What's the best business advice you've ever received?

You need to spend money in order to make money.

Brief Bio: Dr. Buinewicz received his Bachelor of Science degree from Villanova University and his Doctorate of Medicine degree from Jefferson Medical College. He completed  his General Surgery internship and residency at Abington Memorial Hospital in Abington, Pennsylvania, and completed his Plastic Surgery residency at the Indiana University Medical Center in Indianapolis, IN. 

In addition to his work at Le MedSpa, Dr. Buinewicz remains active in the medical community. He currently serves as the Chief of the Division of Plastic Surgery at Abington Memorial Hospital, and as a Clinical Instructor at the Temple University School of Medicine and Surgery. He was a co-founder and director of the Comprehensive Wound Healing Center at Abington Memorial Hospital, and dedicated his time as the Associate Medical Director for Praxis Clinical Services. He serves on the Institutional Review Board at Abington Memorial Hospital,  and the Education Committee of the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons.

Dr. Buinewicz is licensed to practice medicine in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey. He is Board certified by the American Board of Surgery, American Board of Plastic Surgery, and the American Board of Preventive Medicine for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. He belongs to numerous professional organizations, including the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the American Society of Aestheitc Plastic Surgeons, the Northeastern Society of Plastic Surgeons,  the Robert H. Ivy Society, and the American College of Surgeons. 

This interview is part of a series of interviews of physicians running medical spas, laser clinics and cosmetic surgery centers. If you'd like to be interviewed, just contact us.