Plastic surgeons use barter to boost sales, bring in new patients

Some plastic surgeons are finding that barter can be a good way to build their practices and fill their schedules. Barter systems are relatively simple to use and can be a good option, particularly for surgeons who are just building their practices and still have time to fill most days, they say.

The barter system is not what some people assume, says Don Mardak, CEO of International Monetary Systems (IMS), one of the country’s leading barter organizations. (More information is available at www.imsbarter.com.) We’re not talking about trading your plastic surgery services for something tangible like a bushel of corn. In the barter system, you provide plastic surgery to a fellow barter member for a set fee, usually the same amount that you would charge anyone else.

The difference is that you are paid in barter dollars instead of real money.