Plastic Surgery Consultation: Important questions to ask during a consultation

Consultations are an integral part of the plastic surgery procedure, they allow a patient to get a better understanding of their desired procedure, and whether it will actually be suitable for them, as well as letting a patient get to know the cosmetic surgeon that will likely be performing the aesthetic surgery.

It also allows surgeons to decide whether they are willing to work on the patient, or if they believe the patient is seeking plastic surgery for the wrong reasons or has body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). In this post, we take you through the most important questions to ask at your consultation.

At Linia, we always recommend a patient goes to several consultations, especially if this is the first time they’re having cosmetic work.

By visiting and researching a wide range of plastic surgeons, a patient can get a better feel for personalities which are compatible with theirs.

Trust and understanding between surgeon and patient is a crucial part of any plastic surgery procedure.

If you have a consultation or are considering plastic surgery, these are the questions you should ask before agreeing to any surgery.

We’ll start with the general questions to ask, and then move on to questions to ask for specific treatments after that.

Do You Have Board Certification?

It’s very likely that you’ve read about a botched plastic surgery procedure and assumed that the failure rate for plastic surgery is 50%. That is not the case.

First, the media enjoys these stories because they’re much more interesting than cosmetic surgery going well, and second, often you’ll see that these patients went to an unlicensed plastic surgery practitioner.

That’s not to say the patient is to blame, but it’s much rarer to find botched cosmetic procedures by board-certified surgeons. You must ensure that the surgeon you choose is board-certified.

Do You Frequently Perform The Procedure I Want?

While most plastic surgeons have a broad repertoire of procedures that they offer, usually they specialise in a few procedures, but they’ll usually be experts at that procedure.

It’s always worth checking what a plastic surgeon’s specialities are before you agree to surgery, you wouldn’t want to go to a surgeon who only performs your desired procedure once in a blue moon!

Our specialities at Linia include breast augmentation, facelifts and abdominoplasty–We also offer our signature procedures, S-Facelift, Vaser Liposuction and Blepharoplasty.

What Anaesthesia Will Be Used?

This will be determined on case-by-case bases, but it is important you know whether you will be under general or local anaesthetic, and where the procedure will be performed.

This information is important as it will prepare you for arrangements that need to be made post-operatively, such as how you’ll be getting home for example.

What Will My Recovery Process Be Like?

At Linia we extremely transparent about the potential risks and recovery times that each procedure involves. As with the anaesthesia, this will be determined on a case-by-case basis, but you can find information on the estimated recovery times of every procedure I offer on their respective pages.

You should also find out what the plastic surgeon offers in terms of post-care.

The Cost Of The Procedure

Once again, this will depend on the procedure, as costs vary significantly from procedure to procedure. During the consultation, your plastic surgeon will give you a rundown of the costs involved with the procedure.

We are recommending you to ask this question so you can assess your finances, not to encourage bargain hunting.

Plastic surgery offers and deals often come from less-than-reputable sources, and are often a false economy. When it comes to plastic surgery, it’s always best to go with the quality, often more expensive option.

What questions should I ask a plastic surgeon about specific procedures?

As there are a vast array of different cosmetic procedures available, each with unique techniques used, risks, results and recovery periods, it is important to ask treatment-specific questions as well as the more general questions outlined above.

Below we have provided suggested questions you should ask surgeons if you are having some of the most common procedures.

Rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty, or nose job, as it is more commonly referred to, is a cosmetic surgery that corrects and reconstructs your nose. It can either be performed as a type of reconstructive surgery or purely cosmetic enhancement.

• How many years of experience do you have performing rhinoplasties?
• When did you last perform a rhinoplasty?
• What is the practice policy on revisions?
• How long would the kind of rhinoplasty I need take to complete?
• What are the potential side effects and complications that could affect my nose if I have this treatment?
• What is the best kind of rhinoplasty to use on my nose?
• Do you have before and after images of rhinoplasties you’ve performed on noses similar to mine?
• Do you perform reconstructions of noses using autologous tissue and cartilage?

Breast Implants

Breast implants are prosthesis that is used to change the contour, shape and size of breasts. They are often used either as a cosmetic enhancement or form of reconstructive plastic surgery.

• How many years of experience do you have working with breast implants?
• When did you last perform breast implant surgery?
• How often and how many revisions of your breast implant work do you have to perform?
• Am I a suitable candidate for breast implants?
• What placement site, incision site, surface texture, size and shape would you recommend for me?
• How long does it take to recover from breast implant surgery?
• What complications and risks are associated with breast implants?
• Do you have before and after images of breast implants you have worked on in the past?
• Do I have any other breast surgery options besides implants?
• Would a different type of breast augmentation be more suitable for the results I want?

Liposuction

Liposuction, often just referred to as lipo, is a common type of cosmetic surgery involving the removal of excess and unwanted fat.

• How many years do you have experience in performing liposuction?
• When did you last perform liposuction?
• Am I a suitable candidate for liposuction?
• How can I best prepare for liposuction to experience the best results?
• How long does it take to recover from liposuction?
• Will there be scarring? If so, what is it like? Do you have images I could see?
• Do you have before and after images of liposuction you have performed in the past?
• Can liposuction be combined with other procedures for even better results?
• What are the alternatives? Could I see similar results with a less invasive “soft” lipo or vaser liposuction?

Brazilian Butt Lift

Brazilian butt lift surgery is a special type of cosmetic surgery involving fat-transfer to augment and enhance the shape and size of the buttocks using liposuction on parts of the body with excess fat, instead of butt implants.

• How experienced are you at performing Brazilian butt lifts?
• When was the last time you performed a Brazilian butt lift?
• Am I a suitable candidate for a BBL?
• What are the benefits of having BBL rather than butt implants?
• Will I need to lose or gain weight before having the procedure?
• How safe is a BBL and what are the known complications and risks associated with the procedure?
• Where exactly do you intend on extracting the fat from on my body?
• Do you have before and after images I can see of BBL you have performed on similar body types to my own?

Tummy Tuck or Abdominoplasty

An abdominoplasty, otherwise known as a tummy tuck, is a type of cosmetic surgery aimed at making the abdomen firmer and thinner and involves the removal of excess fat and skin from the lower and mid abdominal region.

• How experienced are you performing tummy tucks?
• When did you perform your last tummy tuck?
• Am I a good candidate for a tummy tuck?
• Do you have before and after images of tummy tucks you’ve performed?
• What is the recovery period after the procedure?
• What can I do to prepare for my tummy tuck?
• Do I need to lose weight?
• What are the risks associated with a tummy tuck?

The right surgeon will give you honest, satisfactory answers to your questions about any surgical procedure you’re thinking of having.

Posted In: General Blogs

Written By: Dr Azhar Aslam