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Dr Fiona Wee

@drfi.explains

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🩺 Medical Doctor
Skin • Facial Anatomy • Aesthetic Medicine
Evidence-based education
📍 Melbourne, Australia

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Welcome to @drfi.explains 👋
I’m Fiona, Dr Fi, and I don’t think I’ve properly introduced myself.

Less than a year ago, I left what I thought was my dream career in plastic surgery 👩🏻‍⚕️

Not because I stopped loving medicine. Because life changed, and several people in my family became seriously unwell.

At the time, I felt like I’d failed. I had no plan. I didn’t know what came next.

I eventually found aesthetic medicine, but I also found a lot of marketing, bold claims, and confusion around what’s backed by science.

That’s why I started this page!

Not to sell you treatments. To help you understand them, explain the science, and cut through the hype so you can make informed decisions.

If you’re curious about aesthetic medicine, or your life has taken an unexpected turn too, I’d love to have you here part of this journey!

#DrFiExplains #AestheticMedicine #SkinScience #EvidenceBasedBeauty taken in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia by @drfi.explains

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3 months ago

Did you guess the same as Cal?

Not a rivet, but punctal plugs are small devices placed into the puncta, the little openings that drain tears from your eyes. Their job is to help keep tears on the eye surface for longer, which can be helpful in managing dry eye symptoms.

Cal’s reaction says it all!

This is part 1 of “Making My Non-medical Husband Guess Weird Medical Things.” Follow for part 2!

#PunctalPlugs #DryEye #EyeHealth #MedicalEducation #DrFiExplains taken in Melbourne, Australia by @drfi.explains

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3 months ago

Ozempic exists partly because scientists paid attention to a lizard’s venom.

Your body makes GLP-1 after you eat. It helps release insulin and signals fullness, which is why scientists were interested in it for diabetes treatment back in the 1980s.

The problem? Human GLP-1 gets broken down in about 2 minutes.

Then in 1992, Dr John Eng studied the Gila monster, a desert lizard that eats rarely but keeps stable blood sugar.

He found exendin-4 in its venom.

Exendin-4 acts on the same GLP-1 receptor. It helps boost insulin, slows digestion and reduces appetite. But unlike human GLP-1, it resists fast breakdown, so it lasts for hours.

That became exenatide, the first approved GLP-1 drug.

Ozempic isn’t lizard venom, but the GLP-1 drug story does trace back to this desert lizard.

Educational only, not personal medical advice.

Send this to someone on Ozempic who didn’t know a lizard was involved. Follow for the next GLP-1 face explainer.

#Ozempic #GLP1 #DoctorExplains #GilaMonster #DrFiExplains taken in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia by @drfi.explains

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2 months ago

Part 20 of My Non Medical Husband Guesses Weird Medical Things!

Today’s mystery object: a laryngeal mask airway, also called an LMA.

Cal’s guesses took a journey 🤣

A snorkel.

An ear contraption that lets you hear upwards.

And before that, something to do with peeing upwards!

We need to move his brain out of the gutter and back toward the airway 😂

The real answer: a laryngeal mask airway is a medical airway device used by trained clinicians to help keep a patient’s airway open and support breathing during anaesthesia, sedation, or emergency airway management in certain settings.

In plain English, it helps deliver oxygen or anaesthetic gases while someone is being cared for by a trained medical team.

It sits above the larynx, or voice box, rather than going through the vocal cords like an endotracheal tube.

It usually has a tube connected to a soft mask or cuff that forms a seal around the entrance to the larynx.

Important bit: an LMA isn’t used for every patient, and it doesn’t replace every airway device.

Clinicians choose airway equipment based on the patient, procedure, fasting status, aspiration risk, airway assessment, and clinical judgement.

Snorkel? Not quite.

Upward hearing device? Absolutely not.

Medical airway? Yes.

General education only, not personal medical advice.

Which of Cal’s guesses was the funniest?

#DrFiExplains #LaryngealMaskAirway #AirwayManagement #MedicalEducation #DoctorExplains taken in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia by @drfi.explains

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3 days ago

There’s a moment in internship when it hits you.

You’re not only observing patient care anymore. You’re part of it.

In Episode 3, I talk with Dr Amy about that first real sense of responsibility as new doctors, and what it felt like moving from medical school into internship.

It’s serious. It’s humbling. And you’re not meant to carry it alone.

Early internship is about teamwork, asking for help, checking decisions, and learning safely while you grow into the role.

General education and personal reflection only, not medical advice.

Follow Drfi.explains for more early doctor stories!

#DrFiExplains #MedicalInternship #JuniorDoctors #MedicalStudents #DoctorLife taken in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia by @drfi.explains

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5 days ago

Part 19 of My Non Medical Husband Guesses Weird Medical Things!

Today’s mystery object: a robotic surgical system.

And Cal got it right 🏆🤖

Full points. Possibly dangerous levels of confidence now.

The da Vinci surgical system is a robotic-assisted surgical platform used by trained surgeons for certain minimally invasive operations.

In plain English: the surgeon controls the instruments from a console. The robot does not operate by itself, and it does not replace the surgeon.

The system translates the surgeon’s hand movements into precise instrument movements inside the body, often through small incisions. It can also provide 3D magnified vision and wristed instruments with a fine range of motion.

Robotic-assisted surgery may be used in areas like urology, gynaecology, colorectal surgery, general surgery, thoracic surgery, or other specialties depending on the operation, hospital, and surgeon training.

Important bit: robotic surgery is not automatically better for every procedure or every patient.

Suitability depends on the condition, the operation, surgeon experience, risks, benefits, and individual assessment.

Although Cal said gamers could replace surgeons, gamers aren’t replacing surgeons yet!

But Cal gets points for recognising the robot.

General education only, not personal medical advice.

Would you have guessed this one?

#DrFiExplains #RoboticSurgery #DaVinciSurgery #MedicalEducation #DoctorExplains taken in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia by @drfi.explains

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8 days ago

What makes MINT™️ a go-to in clinical practice?

Hear from Dr Fiona Wee of TAEGA Clinic @taega.clinics as she shares why her patients loves MINT™️ PDO threads.

From treatment planning to thread selection and placement, discover the practitioner perspective behind MINT™️.

Explore MINT™️ with Athena BioMed and discover how our range of PDO threads can support a practitioner-led approach to facial lifting and tissue remodelling.

-——

Call (ANZ): +61 489 085 716
Email: orders@athenabiomed.com
WhatsApp (Singapore): +65 8061 6817
Website: www.athenabiomed.com

Practitioner enquiries & training opportunities available.

#MINTfeeds #MINTLift #AthenaBioMed #PDOThreads #AestheticMedicine taken in Australia by @drfi.explains

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9 days ago

Dermatographia translates to “skin writing”.

And once you know what it means, the name makes sense.

Dermatographia is a type of physical urticaria, or inducible hives, where light scratching or pressure can cause raised red or white itchy lines or welts.

In plain English: your skin overreacts to pressure.

For some people, it’s mild and occasional. For others, it can be itchy, annoying and flare with certain triggers.

A few practical tips that may help:

Avoid scratching where possible, even though that’s easier said than done.

Avoid tight clothing if pressure or friction makes it worse.

Avoid physical exfoliants and scrubs that mechanically irritate the skin.

If exfoliation suits your skin, consider gentler chemical exfoliants instead, and stop anything that flares your symptoms.

Antihistamines can help some people, but they’re not one-size-fits-all. Speak with a pharmacist or doctor about what’s appropriate, especially if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, taking other medicines, or your symptoms are severe or frequent.

Please seek medical advice if symptoms are new, severe, widespread, linked with swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, breathing symptoms, dizziness, or if you’re worried.

Skin writing can look dramatic, but it’s often manageable once you understand what’s happening and what tends to trigger it.

General education only, not personal medical advice.

Send this to someone who gets mysterious raised lines after scratching their skin.

#DrFiExplains #Dermatographia #SkinWriting #Urticaria #SkinHealth taken in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia by @drfi.explains

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10 days ago

Part 18 of My Non Medical Husband Guesses Weird Medical Things!

Today’s mystery object: a Hertel exophthalmometer.

Cal’s guess? A caliper! 👷🏻‍♂️

Caliper? Actually not a bad guess.

It is a measuring tool. It’s not the type of caliper you’d find in a garage or stationery drawer.

The real answer: a Hertel exophthalmometer measures how far the eyes project forward from the eye socket.

In plain English, it’s a medical caliper for eyeball prominence.

Optometrists, ophthalmologists, thyroid eye disease clinics, endocrinology teams, and other clinicians may use it when assessing proptosis or exophthalmos. That means one or both eyes appear more prominent than usual.

It can help monitor eye prominence in conditions such as thyroid eye disease or Graves’ orbitopathy, orbital swelling, trauma, masses, or other causes of eyes looking more forward than expected.

The device rests on the bony outer edges of the eye sockets and uses mirrors or prisms to take a measurement in millimetres.

It’s usually quick and non-invasive, but the number doesn’t tell the whole story by itself. It needs to be interpreted with symptoms, examination findings, previous measurements, and the full clinical picture.

If someone notices new bulging eyes, one eye suddenly looking more prominent, eye pain, vision changes, double vision, redness or swelling, or a severe headache, they should seek medical assessment urgently.

General education only, not personal medical advice.

Would you have guessed caliper too?

#DrFiExplains #HertelExophthalmometer #EyeHealth #MedicalEducation #DoctorExplains taken in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia by @drfi.explains

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12 days ago

The first medication you chart as a doctor feels oddly huge.

In Episode 2, I talk with Dr Amy about the firsts of internship, including the first medications they prescribed and what it felt like moving from medical school to being the doctor.

Equal parts careful, nervous, and “please let me find the guideline quickly”.

Early internship is about learning safely: double-checking, asking for help, using guidelines, and building confidence one shift at a time.

General education and personal reflection only, not medical advice.

Follow Drfi.explains for more early doctor stories.

#DrFiExplains #MedicalInternship #JuniorDoctors #MedicalStudents #DoctorLife taken in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia by @drfi.explains

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15 days ago

Part 17 of My Non Medical Husband Guesses Weird Medical Things!

Today’s mystery object: a vaginal speculum.

Cal’s guess was... uncomfortably close. Something that gets inserted and clamped.

Points for the general direction. Small correction on the wording.

A speculum isn’t really “clamped” onto anything. It’s gently inserted into the vagina and opened to hold the vaginal walls apart so a clinician can see the cervix.

It can also be locked in place briefly to keep a clear view during an exam or procedure.

Speculums may be used for cervical screening or Pap smears, cervical swabs, pelvic examinations, IUD insertion or removal, or other gynaecological assessments.

Important bit: speculum exams can feel uncomfortable or vulnerable for some people. A clinician should explain what they’re doing, check consent, use appropriate lubricant when clinically suitable, go slowly, and stop if needed.

If you have pain, bleeding, anxiety, past trauma, or concerns, tell your clinician. You can discuss options and what might help you feel safer and more comfortable.

Weird-looking object? Yes.

Patient-first care? Always the point.

General education only, not personal medical advice.

Guess what Cal thought it was before the reveal.

#DrFiExplains #Speculum #CervicalScreening #MedicalEducation #DoctorExplains taken in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia by @drfi.explains

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17 days ago

Body with Galderma: Launch Night BTS

A wholesome little look at a fun, educational night with Galderma learning about body biostimulator and body contour education!

Loved spending time with @press_tinydoctor talking patient selection, safety and realistic expectations, and seeing the education that sits behind body treatment planning.

A little insider glimpse into my world! 🌏🩺👩🏻‍⚕️

General education only, not personal medical advice. Treatment suitability needs an individual consultation with a qualified clinician.

#DrFiExplains #BodyBiostimulator #BodyContourEducation #GaldermaEducation #AestheticMedicine taken in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia by @drfi.explains

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19 days ago