What Questions Should You Ask During Your Plastic Surgery Consultation?
Just last week there was a story in the news about a Florida man pretending to be a plastic surgeon and offering procedures from a rented motel room. Unfortunately, there were several victims who opted for his services and have now been suffering serious complications and infections. While it might seem obvious to some that receiving plastic surgery services from someone out of a motel room is not a safe idea, there are several less obvious but important questions people should ask their plastic surgeon before opting for any surgery.
Below are recommended questions to ask your plastic surgeon during your consultation:
- How often do you do this procedure/how many of them have you done?
Ask your doctor this question about the specific procedure(s) you are considering. This will give you a good idea about his/her experience, but is also important to ask because although the doctor might be experienced, he/she might specialize in “Procedure A,” but might not do “Procedure B” as often or as well.
- Are you certified with the American Board of Plastic Surgery?
If a plastic surgeon is not certified with this specific board, do NOT go to this doctor. Becoming certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery requires that a doctor complete hours of work and prove his/her work up to a certain standard. This is one of the best ways to tell if a doctor is qualified.
- Do you do the surgery in your own facility?[If so,] Is it a certified surgical facility?
Some surgeons do their surgery in a hospital. In this case, you know that the facility is up to par. If a surgeon (like Dr. DeMars) does it in his/her own facility, it must be certified. Don’t go to a doctor whose own facility is not certified as it may not meet up with certain health and safety standards.
- Do you use a board certified anesthesiologist?
Having a board certified anesthesiologist is a must and should be a requirement for any surgeon you consider. In very simple terms, an anesthesiologist is the physician responsible for putting a patient to sleep for a surgical procedure. For this reason, having a highly qualified, experienced and certified anesthesiologist is very important.
- If there is a serious complication from the surgery, do you have privileges at a local hospital?
If your surgeon’s practice is in his/her own facility, it is essential that he or she have access at a local hospital. This means that the doctor and the hospital have an agreement allowing the doctor to take the patient to that hospital if a complication were to happen during/after the procedure for any reason.
- What’s your policy on handling complications regarding financial issues?
This is always good, basic information to know especially if you will be financing your procedure.
Be sure to ask your potential doctor all of these questions, and any others that you may have! Dr. DeMars is happy to answer any questions – feel free to comment on this post or contact his office if you would like to have any of yours answered.
