Considering a facelift? The latest Web site from an Evanston-based networking company offers customized information about plastic surgery, but some professionals are still unimpressed.
SignatureSpecialists Inc. launched www.plasticsurgeryportal.com in April. The company claims to offer the largest network of certified service providers in the U.S. It has several similar Web sites for home contractors, laser hair removal and health clubs.
“We provide information for different community groups and service a sort of marriage for providers and those looking for providers,” said SignatureSpecialists President James Kropp.
Plastic Surgery Portal offers personal assistance and information for consumers interested in undergoing plastic surgery. Visitors can take an “Am I Ready For Plastic Surgery” quiz to determine if they are prepared to have a procedure done.
From there the site gives information on different options, ranging from an arm lift to a tummy tuck. Customers can read surgeon profiles and view a list of questions to ask at a consultation. There is also a forum allowing potential patients to ask questions and discuss procedures.
Once visitors have decided on a procedure, they can select a doctor from the site and contact SignatureSpecialists to set up an appointment. Afterward, customers fill out a service report to rate their satisfaction with the process.
“The great thing that’s come with this is that consumers go in armed with a lot of information – information about themselves and what makes them comfortable with the procedure,” Kropp said.
SignatureSpecialists decided to create the Web site after company research showed a lack of unbiased plastic surgery networks.
“We’re taking a look at what consumers have a difficult time obtaining out there or what there’s not a lot of information out there,” Kropp said.
Although Kropp said information about plastic surgery was scarce, Dr. Julius Few, spokesman for the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, said he thought the new site was redundant.
“There are already quite a few marketing portals out there,” he said. “It’s just one in many.”
Few, who is also a member of the Northwestern University-affiliated group Northwestern Plastic Surgery, said most people interested in plastic surgery visit more reputable sites. He mentioned the two organizations that represent board-certified plastic surgeons, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.
“If you compare the detail and the layout of the information of what those sites offer against the Plastic Surgery Portal, I think you can see the difference,” Few said.
Even so, Kropp said the new Web site has already gotten tremendous feedback and that SignatureSpecialists is just trying to provide useful resources.
“As people go through their life and look at cosmetic procedures or work on their home or get married, we want to be there with any information for them,” he said.
Reach Angela Chang at [email protected].
