The Facelift
Consultation:
What You Should Know
The consultation with a plastic surgeon is
what will help you to make your decision. So,
come prepared to your private consultation.
Write down all questions you may have. Listen carefully,
what the cosmetic surgeon tells you and understand his reasoning.
Observing the office facility, the staff and the plastic
surgeon may give you important non-verbal clues for you.
Come alone if you can focus best this one-on-one; bring
a significant other or a truly concerned friend, if this
helps you.
How Many Facelift Consultations Should You Have
If your best friend had a facelift with only
positive things to report, then you likely will only need
to see this one facial plastic surgeon. If you get good
references from acquaintances, you may need to visit 2 or
3 cosmetic surgeon. But if you have no leads but find names
in the yellow pages, more consultations maybe required until
the find the right fit. Certainly, do not stop until you
feel entirely comfortable and satisfied.
What Can You Expect from Your Facelift Consultation
Every plastic surgeon has a different approach
to the initial consultation. In some offices, you will meet
an assistant who “preps you” for the doctor.
Although this may save time for the surgeon, it certainly
limits your time to get to know another. In other practices,
the cosmetic surgeon will be the one that discusses your
health status with you, performs the examination and discusses
the procedure itself in detail. Photos usually will be taken.
Whatever the philosophy of the plastic surgeon,
you should leave at the end with the following information:
- Is the plastic surgeon experienced in facelifting?
- What facelift procedure would this doctor perform?
- Where the procedure would be performed?
- What method of anesthesia will be applied?
- What is the recovery time?
- What is a realistic improvement that you can expect?
- Which of my concerns would not be addressed?
- What are reasonable risks?
- What is the approximate cost?
- How far should you schedule in advance?
What is the Consultation Fee?
Fees vary widely from zero to a couple of
hundred dollars. In most cases, the fee will be applied
to services, if you decide to go ahead with the particular
doctor. Do not consider a fee a waste of time but rather
part of your education. Most busy surgeons have consultation
fees because their time is valuable and they provide a service
for you even in the case that you walk out and decide to
have your facelift with somebody else.
What if You Forgot Something
There are many reasons, why you may want
to return for a second visit. Most surgeons either schedule
a second visit routinely or offer a second visit to their
patients. You should have all questions answered before
your procedure and feels comfortable about what to expect
so as to be absolutely sure that you made the right decision.
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