Before undergoing plastic surgery, it’s important to have a one-on-one consultation with your surgeon. And for that, you should have some plastic surgery consultation questions already prepared.
You need to make the most out of it to ensure that the surgeon understands your needs and expectations. And also, you understand what you can achieve from the surgery, so you’re satisfied with the outcome. That will also make you feel more confident and comfortable in your choice of surgeon.
What Are Some Important Plastic Surgery Consultation Questions?
You can prepare a list of all the plastic surgery consultation questions that you have in mind, but make sure to include the following ones as they’re essential.
What Are The Credentials Of The Surgeon?
Before deciding to have surgery, you need to know if your surgeon is qualified enough to perform the surgery on you. For that, you need to find out if they’re board-certified. Follow it up by asking which board certification they specifically hold. This will give you an idea of the training and expertise of the surgeon. Specifically, ask if the surgeon was trained in plastic surgery. You may also be able to confirm the membership of your surgeon by looking up their record on online medical registers.
Make sure to ask your surgeon how many similar procedures they have performed over the years and what have been their overall patient satisfaction and complication rates. It’s important because plastic surgeons specialise in certain areas of the face or body. Knowing that the surgeon has experience in performing the procedure that you’re seeking on a diverse group of people will make you feel more comfortable.
Additionally, you should check out the past work of the surgeon by going through the before and afters of their previous patients. Lastly, not just the surgeon, make sure to ask about the credentials of the rest of the staff who will be involved in your procedure.
Where Will My Procedure Take Place?
If the surgeon is a member of a reputable board, it is likely that they will have hospital privileges. So, you should ask about the hospital in which the procedure should take place. Make sure that it is registered so that you’ll know that it is regulated by an authority for upholding safety standards.
However, even if the procedure is not taking place at a hospital, make sure that the clinic is registered with a national authority. It’s the Ministry of Health in Turkey and CQC in the UK. Add this to your list of plastic surgery consultation questions.
What Procedure(s) Do You Recommend That Will Help Me Get The Results I Want?
While you have already decided on a particular procedure to achieve your aesthetic goals, it is always a good idea to further consult a plastic surgeon. In fact, after communicating your needs and expectations to the surgeon, you should make sure to ask if a particular procedure will give you the results you’re looking for.
Based on that, you should also ask if there’s another surgical or non-surgical procedure that can better meet your needs. If so, ask them why. It is also possible that the kind of results you’re looking for requires two different surgical procedures. Knowing about it beforehand is better than finding out later on and being disappointed about the results. That’s why plastic surgery consultation questions are so important.
How Will The Surgery Be Performed?
Heading to the operation theatre, it is always good to know what to expect. This can make you feel less anxious and more confident in the abilities of the surgeon. While the surgeon goes through the details of the procedure, you can further probe them to find out exactly how it will meet your needs. Such plastic surgery consultation questions will also give you an idea of the expertise of the surgeon.
Here, you should also make sure to clarify whether or not you’ll be a good candidate for the procedure. The plastic surgeon needs to go through the medical history of the patients and assess their anatomy and lifestyle to determine their suitability for procedures. Once you know these things, you should also ask about the overall safety of the procedure. Also, go through the protocol that’s in place in case an emergency arises.
Does The Procedure Require Anaesthesia?
Both local and general anaesthesia is given to patients for cosmetic procedures. However, it depends on the type of procedures being performed. When the procedure is minor and takes place in a small area, such as blepharoplasty and otoplasty, local anaesthesia is used.
In contrast, breast surgery, liposuction, and tummy tuck require general anaesthesia. You should be clear on this and also ask who will be administering the anaesthesia. This should be done by a board-certified and licensed anesthesiologist (anaesthesia specialist).
What Are The Potential Risks & Complications Of The Surgery?
No surgery is risk-free, and it is possible for a surgeon to run into complications even if they are highly qualified. A good surgeon will make sure to go through these with you before the surgery takes place. It isn’t something that should be hidden from the patient. So, it is one of the more important plastic surgery consultation questions that you need to ask.
On your end, you should further ask how often these complications occur and how the surgeon has dealt with them in the past. You should also do some research on your end about the potential risks and complications of a procedure that you’re seeking. See if what the surgeon is saying is comparable to what you know.
What Is The Recovery Process After Surgery?
Every procedure will have different healing and recovery times depending on the type of surgery and its invasiveness. Your age, lifestyle, and genetics can also have an impact on that. Understanding this will help to ensure that you are prepared for the period after your surgery. You need to know when you’ll be able to get back to work or take care of your children. So, add it to your plastic surgery consultation questions list.
Generally, the description of the recovery period is broken down into three stages – the first being the period of time before resuming your normal activities, the second being any limitations and things to avoid, and the third being any form of side effects you may have from the surgery. This includes factors like minor bleeding or swelling – which is generally standard for many types of cosmetic procedures.
Also, ask when you’ll be able to see the final results of the procedure. Your surgeon should talk you through the different estimated recovery periods for your particular procedure, so keep this in mind before your consultation.
How Long Will The Results Of The Procedure Last?
It’s important that you know whether or not the procedure will give you permanent or temporary results. Ask your surgeon exactly how long the results will last and how they will change over time (or if any factors can speed that up). In the case of some cosmetic procedures, you’d need to keep coming back to the clinic after some time to maintain the results.
For instance, Botox and dermal fillers last from months to years. In contrast, procedures like facelift, liposuction, and tummy tuck give permanent results. If you’re getting implants for breasts, buttocks, chin, jaw, or any other area, ask your surgeon if they’re permanent or need to be replaced. If they need to be replaced, ask the surgeon when. Such plastic surgery consultation questions will give you an idea of the overall budget that you need to allocate to the surgery.
How Many Follow-Up Appointments Will Be Necessary?
This is one of the especially more important plastic surgery consultation questions if you’re getting the surgery in another country. Usually, patients aren’t required to stay for longer than 1 week, during which the first follow-up takes place. However, if you’re around for longer, the clinic may arrange another follow-up appointment for you.
Will I Get Post-Op Aftercare?
It is one of the most crucial plastic surgery consultation questions. An invasive surgical procedure will require months or even a year for you to recover. And during that time, professional medical assistance should be available to you so that you get the results that you’re looking for.
Here, it’s important that you receive written down instructions that you can refer back to in case of any doubts. That’s because there are quite a few things that you need to do, and it’s definitely a good idea to know them exactly (rather than vaguely).
Make sure to ask the surgeon about the aftercare that you’ll be provided and how you will be provided it. Ask them for details so that you know exactly what to do if something goes awry during recovery.
What If I’m Not Happy With The Results of The Procedure?
It is important that you know how to proceed if you are not satisfied with the results of the procedure. Ask the surgeon if they will perform revision surgery in that case and how much it will cost.
This may be offered if there was a problem during the surgical procedure on the surgeon’s end. However, if the poor results are because of negligence during aftercare, it may not be covered by the surgeon. Ask about its details during plastic surgery consultation questions.
Conclusion
Asking the right plastic surgery consultation questions is key to finding the right surgeon for yourself. Therefore, it’s important that you do your due diligence and note down everything that you plan to ask about.
During the consult, take note of the behaviour of the staff and the cleanliness of the environment. After the plastic surgery consultation questions, ask yourself if you feel comfortable with the surgeon and feel that the surgeon understood your concerns. If you feel like things are being rushed or you’re being underplayed, it’s a sign that you need to walk away.
