Plastic Surgery: Questions You Should Ask Before Going Under The
Knife
Plastic surgery today has undergone a wide acceptance by
society. Its popularity is most likely due to popular television
shows and celebrity surgeries having removed the stigma to the
point where it is considered an attainable and reasonable means
of improving the appearance for almost anyone.
Additionally, the advancement of plastic technology means that
many procedures are now quite common and offer very little risk.
There are now limitless possibilities with plastic surgery,
whether it is in the face, body or limbs. If your body bags,
wrinkles, sags or pouches or if you feel something is too large,
too small or even the wrong shape, cosmetic surgery can probably
fix it. However it is important to keep in mind that no surgery
is risk free and any person seriously contemplating plastic
surgery should take the time to ask important questions as a
part of their pre-surgery research.
One of the most important questions to ask, is "what are the
risks?" And since all surgery carries some inherent risks, this
is an aspect of cosmetic surgery that should be considered
carefully before making a final decision. Even if your doctor is
experienced and the risks are minimal you may still develop
complications either during or after your surgery. You should
therefore be sure to thoroughly review your health history with
your doctor before commencing with any plastic surgery.
A good cosmetic surgeon will take your reasons for surgery into
consideration and will be honest about the risks. Are you sure
the risks outweigh the potential benefits? What, if any, follow
up will be done by the surgeon? Will the doctor make adjustments
if needed? How will complications be handled? How much time will
you need to recover and what are the expected side effects of
surgery?
Another important consideration you should carefully examine is
your reason for plastic surgery.
Although the makeovers on television may give the impression
that cosmetic surgery can improve the quality of your life it is
vitally important that you have a realistic outlook on the
impact of surgery.
When discussing cosmetic surgery with a doctor, they should also
tell you the options that are available and any alternatives to
surgery. You shouldn't be pressured into unnecessary surgery. An
informed consent document should be signed prior to surgery.
Fourthly, since not all surgical procedures need to be preformed
in a hospital, another critical part of your research should be
to thoroughly investigate the accreditation of your surgeon. You
should check to make sure that your plastic surgeon is board
certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgeons (ABPS) or a
similar a organization in your country.
Ask the surgeon if they have hospital privileges. Having
hospital privileges means that a hospital committee has approved
the doctor's training and competency to meet their criteria for
performing a similar operation in their facilities. Also, even
if your surgery is performed in an office, verify that there
will be appropriate medical personnel on hand and that the
facilities are clean and medical waste is properly disposed of.
You should ask your personal physician for referrals as well. It
is important that you find a surgeon that you feel comfortable
with. You want to feel free to ask questions and to make certain
they understand what you are hoping to achieve - after all, this
isn't a hair cut - you want it to be right the first time.
Last, but not least, cost is an important consideration when
thinking about plastic surgery. And while this may be the first
questions that comes to some people's minds, in reality you
should only consider this after determining whether you really
need surgery. Costs vary widely and should not be the basis for
your decision. The qualifications of the doctor and your comfort
with him or her are of far greater significance than the cost
since you will undoubtedly pay more if you encounter
complications or are unhappy with the results.
Furthermore, depending on the reason for the surgery you may
have some of the costs covered by insurance or state run medical
programs. However, if cosmetic surgery (also called 'elective')
is not seen as a medical and necessity it will not likely be
covered by insurance.
In conclusion, if you are considering plastic surgery, be sure
to take your time to do proper research before making your final
decision. Be sure to make the price of the surgery itself only
one of the determining factors and not the only one. After all,
there are other things that are more important than money.