By Ruth Ann Replogle
Since 1996, Dr. James Worrell has been liquefying and lasering patients in Enid.
No, he’s not a plastic surgery superhero; he’s just using safer, less invasive procedures to achieve more natural (and thus less artificial) looks.
“There are a thousand things I do,” Worrell said about his thriving practice.
He said 40 percent of his business is cosmetic surgery.
“As you are around, patients come back for cosmetic surgery. You build your practice in that way,” Worrell said. “I get people from Kansas and eastern Oklahoma. If you deliver a good product, people will come.”
Cosmetic dermatology and reconstructive surgery round out his practice.
Worrell said he sees all types of people walk through his door. He said he services are no longer limited to the elite.
He said cosmetic surgery is more acceptable and more appealing these days because “it’s safer than its been in the past. There are better aesthetics, better techniques, better equipment. There is less risk for the patient.”
Liposuction once was a practice in which the surgeon would tear out fat by suctioning it from the tissue. Liposuction now is the use of the Vaser to liquefy the fat and drain it. There is less bruising and less swelling today.
Another advantage of plastic surgery these days is it only takes days to recover. Worrell said previously that plastic surgery patients would hide out one or two weeks until they healed. Today, as in the case of liposuction, a person can return to work within four to six days.
He added the price per procedure has dropped and payment plans are available, making it more affordable.
“People are much more willing to make changes,” Worrell said.
Patients can have brown spots, aging spots and moles removed. They can improve skin texture, making it more soft and smooth. They change the appearance of broken veins. They can have acne scars and tattoos removed. They can have face lifts and brow lifts. They can have fat injections into their faces to look more youthful. They can have breast augmentation. They can have tummy tucks, nose jobs and liposuction.
“And it’s all available in Enid, Oklahoma,” Worrell said.
CHOOSING A PLASTIC SURGEON
Worrell said when seeking a plastic surgeon, research a physician’s credentials and practice.
“You need to be careful who is operating on you,” Worrell said. “Don’t just take it on fact that because they put an ad in the paper that they know what the hell they are doing.”
He posed some questions you should ask yourself: Is the surgeon board certified with American Society of Aesthetic Surgeons? Did the surgeon go to medical school and then train for plastic surgery? How long has the surgeon been practicing and how long has the surgeon been doing that particular procedure? What are your friends and family saying about the surgeon?
“Having a friend who went and had good service is your best bet,” Worrell said.
Last, but not least, “Don’t be afraid to ask questions if you go to one,” he said.
