Dr. Marcelo Hochman and his team at The Facial Surgery Center have been providing exceptional care in cosmetic and reconstructive facial surgery in the Charleston area for over 35 years.
What you may not know is that Dr. Hochman has provided care to thousands of children worldwide since the late 1980s. It all began when his son, who is now in his 30s, was born with a vascular anomaly on his chest. At the time, Dr. Hochman said, not much was known or studied about vascular anomalies such as hemangiomas. He was working at the Arkansas Children’s Hospital, which was one of the few hospitals in the United States that treated the issue. When he arrived in the Charleston area in 1990, he started treating vascular anomalies in his practice at the Medical University of South Carolina. “It piqued my interest because I saw how many children were dealing with this, and most didn’t have a solution,” he said. “Many parents were told to leave it alone and that it would go away, but that was and still is not good advice.”
Dr. Hochman now treats more children with vascular anomalies than any other physician in the state and from other states and countries – medically, surgically and with lasers. He was recognized for his work with The Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina’s highest civilian award.
Although most of his patients are children, many adults suffer from these conditions, and he averages more than 100 patient visits and treatments a month in his dedicated vascular anomalies clinic.
Hemangiomas and capillary malformations – port wine stains, for example – are two types of vascular anomalies. Hemangiomas are tumors of blood vessels that appear in infancy, grow rapidly and then shrink over time but don’t disappear. Malformations, on the other hand, can become apparent at any age and worsen with time.
The treatment of vascular anomalies has evolved, and Dr. Hochman explained that more education is needed in primary care regarding the best treatments. “It is definitely different from what it was 25 years ago,” he said. Dr. Hochman stays involved with legislative affairs and is an advocate for laws that benefit physicians and patients. For example, he worked to end the state’s Certificate of Need law, which was outdated and limited the number of services available to the public. He also hopes to help eliminate non-compete clauses for doctors, which frequently prohibit patients from following doctors who change practice locations. And to improve access to quality care, he is working to incentivize doctors in the form of tax credits to offer free medical care to those in need.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Hochman, as the president of the Charleston County Medical Society, was instrumental in getting personal protective equipment funds provided to independent medical practices. A keen passion for supporting independent practitioners is at the core of all Dr. Hochman does. The current president of IndeDocs, he commits time, talent and resources to actively move the needle for private practitioners.
Whether by helping children face the future with treatment for a congenital birthmark, performing cosmetic surgery to enhance a person’s self-esteem or helping forge changes in health care, Dr. Hochman’s focus is the same. His goal is to protect and promote the rights of doctors and their patients.
