A consultation with a prospective plastic surgeon is a busy and exciting appointment. There is a lot of ground to cover in a relatively short appointment. To make the most of your consultation, Dr. George Sanders, who is a trusted plastic surgeon in Los Angeles, encourages you to do the following:
Have a General Understanding of Your Requested Procedure or Goals
Having a general grasp of your requested procedure(s) helps to make your conversation with the plastic surgeon more productive. Use websites like www.surgery.org and www.plasticsurgery.org to research the procedure, benefits, risks and possible complications. Develop a list of questions about aspects of the procedure you don’t understand.
If you don’t have a procedure in mind, be prepared to discuss the area(s) of your body that you want to improve. Have a general idea of what you would like to achieve.
Get a Feel for Your Plastic Surgeon’s Approach
In addition to researching your desired procedure, spend some time getting a feel for the plastic surgeon. Their website can tell you a lot about their qualifications and experience. During your research, add any queries about the surgeon’s credentials to your list of questions. A before-and-after photo gallery can give you an idea of the results typical of that surgeon. Patient reviews are also a helpful glimpse at a surgeon’s bedside manner.
Be Candid when Sharing Your Goals, Expectations and Anxieties
For a great plastic surgery experience, it’s important to have a doctor-patient relationship built on trust. Being open about your plastic surgery goals, expectations and anxieties is part of creating trust between the two of you.
What to Bring to Your Consult
To save time during the check-in process, print out any available new patient forms ahead of time and fill them out. You may also ask to have them mailed to you prior to your appointment.
To save time during the physical exam portion of the appointment (if you are a breast surgery or body contouring candidate), dress in comfortable, loose clothes that are easy to take off and put back on. If you are planning for breast surgery, bring a few different shirts, bras or bathing suit tops to try on with implant sizers.
Bring photographs that can help illustrate what you hope to accomplish through surgery. Depending on your goals, it may be photographs of yourself when you were younger or before you had children.
Some plastic surgery candidates choose to have a spouse, family member or friend accompany them to their consult. If you think a second set of ears and a second opinion would be helpful, feel free to bring a loved one with you!
Book a Consultation with Dr. Sanders
If you would like to book an appointment with Dr. Sanders to discuss your plastic surgery goals and needs, please contact our office today.
