‘HEALTH’ EDITION - JULY 24 ISSUE
Photo: @trumpas_
Text: @juliafagundes_
Production: @coradigital
Dr. Frederico Keim, an otolaryngologist and specialist in structured rhinoplasty, is known on social media and in the media as the doctor to the celebrities. At 40 years old and with 9 years since his graduation, Keim has achieved the impressive milestone of 3,000 structured rhinoplasty surgeries, making him the only Brazilian doctor to reach this accomplishment.
He graduated from FURB (Regional University Foundation of Blumenau - In Santa Catarina, Brazil) in 2011 and subsequently completed his medical residency in Otolaryngology in São Paulo from 2012 to 2014. Since then, he has developed and refined the structured rhinoplasty technique, originally created in the United States, on Brazilian soil.
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Achieving a Great Milestone
"Reaching 3,000 surgeries was something I never imagined achieving within 9 years of graduating. This is a number I see people much older than me reaching. Of course, it’s impossible to achieve such a large number without an excellent team behind you. The great thing is that we have practically the same team we started with; we've added a few people, but few have left, so this is a victory for everyone, right?”
"Rhinoplasty is an intense surgery. You are dealing with a person's face. The center of the face is something that is always in focus, and the patients' demands are increasingly higher. But, obviously, having performed 3,000 surgeries, things flow better."
Photo: Trumpas - @trumpas_
A Growing Number
"Many people ask me: 'Don’t you think about reducing the number of surgeries?' And I say, 'No, I like it.' I like this high number; I like leaving the hospital tired, with a sense of accomplishment, you know? I enjoy doing three surgeries a day. There have been days when I've done four, but when it's four primary surgeries, I get very tired. Now, if it's three surgeries and a minor procedure, like an alar base reduction, it's doable. But I think three surgeries a day is the ideal number."
Patient Well-being from Start to Finish
"Over time, I realized that surgery doesn't only depend on the work we do. In some cases, cartilage is absorbed, and projection is lost, and this is influenced by each person's lifestyle, you know? I started noticing a pattern, more susceptible to complications, which is related to hormones or body inflammation. So, I brought a nutritionist and a dietitian into the clinic so we can reduce body inflammation before surgery, request tests, and provide dietary guidance. Many people liked the initiative and started consulting these professionals, pursuing a follow-up focused on longevity and quality of life."
Photo: Trumpas - @trumpas_
Pioneer on Social Media
"I faced a lot of criticism in the beginning. It was really something very new, a doctor exposing themselves on social media. And, in my opinion, it's very important because someone who has had their nose operated on three or four times wants to get to know you deeply and see your results to know if they can trust you. So, when you show the number of surgeries you've performed, show these results in photos, patients understand the seriousness of it. Today, the patient wants to know and talk to people you've operated on, see your clinic on social media, and know what the doctor is like post-op. In other words, I think the best approach is to be open and show my reality, allowing my future patients to get to know my professional routine."
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A Father's Care
"When I operate on a minor patient, and the parents entrust her to me, I deeply feel what they are going through. I talk to the father and mother and say, 'Look, I can imagine what you are going through right now, and thank you for entrusting your greatest treasure to me.' Obviously, we have a greater care in reassuring the family; sometimes, I ask my team to send a message in the middle of the surgery, letting them know everything is going well. We, as surgeons and parents, have this responsibility pulsing even more strongly within us."
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The Doctor Who Became a Patient
"I tell my colleagues who perform rhinoplasty: 'You will never be complete unless you undergo the surgery as a patient.' I have colleagues who, when examining me, hurt me, and I say, 'Calm down, it's delicate.' So, my experience changed the way I touch the patient, changed my patience regarding complaints and the patient's anxiety. There were moments when I looked at my nose, which was very swollen, and I didn't like what I saw, especially in the first week after surgery. Then, as you see the progress, you realize it was worth it. The other day, I arrived at the office and saw a video of myself on TV with my old nose, and I thought, 'Why didn't I have the surgery sooner?' The decision was very right, but it is not a simple decision; I always tell people they should plan for rhinoplasty and, of course, choose a doctor they truly trust."
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