Preparing for your Consultation – What to Ask, What to Expect

Patients coming for their first plastic surgery consultation possess varying knowledge about procedures of interest, anxiety over the consultation experience, and expectations of the kind of results that can be achieved (from realistic to unrealistic). This primer is geared to ensuring you derive the most benefit from your visit at our office.

Before you come for your consultation, write down a list of your cosmetic surgery goals and questions. These questions should include the pros/cons of the procedures you are considering, recovery time, activity restrictions, risks of surgery, facility where procedures will be performed, the qualifications of the surgeon and team members caring for you, costs, and any health concerns you have based on your history. Also, make a list of any medications or nutritional supplements you take, previous hospitalizations and surgeries with dates, and drug allergies.

If you are thinking about multiple procedures or aren’t sure what will work best for you, that’s okay; just be as specific as possible. For example, if you are concerned about signs of facial aging, rank the areas that bother you by importance, say 1) eyes, 2) forehead, 3) jowls, etc. We can then spend the most time on those areas. It also helps to know your budget, because we may have to choose a limited number of procedures, and want to get the most improvement possible for your money.

When you arrive at the office, you will complete paperwork, including a health history and photograph authorization. You will then be briefly interviewed by a medical assistant regarding your health history and specific areas of cosmetic improvement. This is an excellent time to share your wishes, practical concerns, and any anxieties regarding treatment. The more specific you are, the more benefit you will gain from the consultation.

I will then meet with you to review your health history, ask you questions about your cosmetic surgery interests to fully define and refine your goals, and perform a physical examination of the areas being evaluated. I will review the appropriate surgical (and sometimes non-surgical) options for treatment in detail, show you before-and-after photographs, and have breast augmentation patients try on implant sizers.

The office staff will provide an itemized fee schedule at your request after the consultation, which usually lasts 30 to 75 minutes.

Remember, this first visit is a fact-finding mission for you, and a chance to see if you are comfortable with me, the treatment options, and our office staff. It is also an important opportunity for my staff and I to assess your expectations to make sure the changes you want match well with our abilities to achieve the desired end result. You will not be given a hard sales pitch during your consultation in my office.

If you decide to go forward with surgery, your preoperative visit will include a review of your procedure, signing consent forms, obtaining photographs, and performing a physical examination.

Reprinted with permission from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Web site.

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