As a patient, you should get all of the facts before deciding whether to undergo any reconstructive or cosmetic operation. Since plastic surgery can be a major procedure, it’s important to ask any questions you have. Let’s look at the six things you should discuss with a plastic surgeon during a consultation.
1. Goals and Expectations
When you meet with a plastic surgeon, you should discuss your goals and expectations for the procedure. You may want to look and feel a certain way after the surgery. Your plastic surgeon will tell you if your goals are realistic and help you adjust your expectations to avoid disappointment, fear, or other negative emotions.
2. Procedure Options
You also need to find out how the surgery will be carried out and what options are available to you. For example, will you be put under general anesthesia? Is there the option of your remaining awake during the surgery if you are nervous about sedation? Learn about all of your options and choose the best one that aligns best with your preferences.
3. Risks and Complications
Even the most innocuous of surgeries carries with it the risk of complications. Find out what risks your particular surgery carries and what kinds of post-operative complications you could experience. This information allows you to be proactive in your own care and know if and when to seek additional medical help after the procedure.
4. Recovery and Downtime
You also need to find out what kind of recovery you will face. How long will you need to take off from work or school? How much pain can you anticipate? What kinds of pain relief will your surgeon prescribe?
You can mentally and emotionally prepare yourself for the recovery period and make plans to avoid losing your job or falling behind in school. You will also know if you need to change your own bandages, take care of sutures, or experience minor yet normal bleeding until you are fully healed.
5. Credentials and Experience
As a patient, you will feel more comfortable undergoing a procedure if you know the surgeon has plenty of experience. During the consultation, you have the right to ask about where your surgeon attended university and medical school.
You should also find out how long the surgeon has practiced medicine, how many surgeries like yours he or she has performed in the past, and what kind of outcomes most or all patients experience. This information will put your mind at ease and also help you decide whether or not to proceed with the operation.
6. Costs and Financing
Learn if your insurance will pay for most or all of your surgical expenses and post-operative hospital stay. If your insurer will not cover your costs, ask about finance options. Discover how much money you need to put down before the surgery and how much you will need to pay, and for how long until you pay off your balance.
These six topics are some to discuss during your consultation with your plastic surgeon. They provide you with facts you need to determine if and how to proceed, and what to anticipate once you go home to recover.
