Dr. Taub’s Fall 2018 Letter
Dear patients, colleagues and friends,
Hello, welcome to the newsletter for the Fall of 2018! The biggest changes going on are the new office expansion and remodel as well as the addition of a Mohs surgeon. If you haven’t come in lately to the Lincolnshire office you will be surprised when you do- we have taken over the entire second floor, so when you get off the elevator or walk up the stairs what used to be the lobby is now part of our reception area which has been expanded significantly. We have doubled our exam/procedure rooms and also have much more room for our employees to work, so the congestion that used to be an everyday occurrence will hopefully be reduced! Many of you have commented on the photographs in the rooms, most of which were taken by myself and some were taken by my son and his fiancée. We will get wall tags on them to indicate where they are from soon, since so many people have requested that. We truly hope you are more comfortable in our new surroundings and with our new exam beds, which are expected to be delivered in September.
In August, we had our first Mohs surgery day with Dr. Meghan Morrow. We had sent out an email about her joining our practice part time and her performing Mohs and other non-Mohs surgeries on Mondays. We had found we have such a demand for this procedure and it was becoming difficult to get an appointment with some of the practitioners in the area. Dr. Morrow is accredited by the American College for Mohs, which is only possible with an intensive fellowship after dermatology residency. She trained at Northwestern University; her fellowship director was Dr. Murad Alam, an internationally recognized educator in our field, and another close colleague and friend. We feel very fortunate to have Dr. Morrow in our office, to increase the convenience and comfort to you for your procedures, while still getting the most optimal outcomes. We also have a brand-new private waiting room for patients who are undergoing Mohs procedures since it may take a full morning and occasionally family accompany patients for their surgeries.
I attended the Cosmetic Boot Camp meeting as faculty in June which was held in beautiful Aspen, Colorado. I was honored to perform a demonstration of neurotoxin (Botox®, Dysport® and Xeomin) usage on stage in their “Neurotoxin University” as well as speak on “Optimizing Injectables and Cosmeceuticals” in Winning Combinations, Wound Healing and Scar Management Symposium, and a Practical Aspects of Product Dispensing Panel.
I always learn so much from colleagues and other presentations while at these meetings. We trade insights and strategies to enhance outcomes and experiences. I bring back any insights and share them with staff, as they also gain valuable knowledge when they attend meetings. Continual education and improvement are necessary for personal and professional growth!
We are wrapping up 2 research studies that we have participated in. One was for the FDA approval of a new neurotoxin that will probably be coming to market in 2020. It hasn’t been named yet but is owned by Revance Therapeutics. They are looking to be approved for up to 6 months of duration, which is longer than the other products on the market. Prior studies were strong; we have to wait for the final data to be released and submitted to find out if it was approved. Once approved, you will be amongst the first to hear about it!
The other study is an FDA approval process for truSculpt® iD, which is a “hands free” version of truSculpt® 3D. This means that the operator can apply the applicators and does not need to actually move the applicators during the entire treatment. We are one of 3 sites performing this study; we look forward to seeing the aggregate data.
So much of what we talk about is cosmetic dermatology, but so much of what we do every day is medical dermatology. The innovations in medical dermatology are slower to come. Often, new medications are just combinations or tweaks of medicines that have been around for a long time, so they aren’t truly new indications. The biggest innovations in the last number of years have been within the psoriasis and atopic dermatitis (eczema) arenas. We are very up to date with our knowledge of all the numerous offerings and we welcome with open arms these new and established treatments to make the lives of our patients better! If you are a patient with psoriasis, eczema or hidradenitis suppurativa, MUCH HAS CHANGED. If you haven’t visited 3with a dermatologist who has shared with you all of the highly effective new medication landscape that has improved lives incredibly, please come in and see us.
Finally, a bit of bragging. We completed our 1000th Coolsculpting procedure last quarter, as well as remained in the top 1% of injectors of neurotoxin and fillers in the US. This is truly something to boast about because it shows that WE ARE EXPERIENCED. We have taken the time and effort to attain the most up-to date protocols that encompass the safest and most optimal outcomes.
