When a celebrity “has work done” and the job goes wrong, it’s splashed all over the tabloids. When it happens to you, it doesn’t make the news, but the results are equally devastating.
Dr. Patrick Hsu, a plastic surgeon, recently wrote on KevinMD.com that the number of people having plastic surgery is increasing, and that the number of bad outcomes is increasing right along with them. Hsu wants potential patients for plastic surgery, whether the procedure is elective or medical, to know how to find the right surgeon.
As always, it’s best to get more than one opinion about a nonemergency medical procedure, and plastic surgery is no different. To enhance your chances of getting the best outcome, Hsu advises all patients to ask prospective plastic surgeons these questions:
- Are you board certified?
Confirm that your surgeon is board certified by either the American Board of Plastic Surgery or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Such certification proves that he or she has spent five years training and has passed multiple examinations. Each board’s website lists surgeons that are certified by them.
- How many times have you done this procedure?
You don’t want a surgeon who’s new on the job. He or she should have done at least 100 or more of the procedure you’re having, per year, for many years. Do not agree to the surgery under the knife of someone learning to master the skill.
- What are the risks and complications of this procedure?
Long before the surgery, discuss with your doctor of choice all the risks and complications your procedure might present. You can’t adjust to a less than perfect outcome if you have no idea that such a thing could occur. Ask how often such risks occur, and what to do if they happen to you. Remember: No surgery is risk-free.
The most common risks of plastic surgery are scarring, bleeding and infection.
- May I see some before-and-after photos of people you have performed this surgery on?
A surgeon with nothing to hide has no problem showing you his or her work. Insist on seeing photos not only for quality assurance, but to see if you like the transformation. Still, your outcome could be different. But this sort of review is the most visual sense of what’s likely to happen.
“By making sure that you ask the right questions, not only your surgery will be worry-free,” Hsu says, “but your recovery as well.”
We’re not sure any medical procedure is worry-free, but preparation goes a long way toward minimizing the concern.
To learn more about cosmetic procedures, see our blogs and our backgrounder on the topic.