When you want to have plastic surgery, choosing the right surgeon to perform the procedure is perhaps the most important thing you need to do. This is because many things could go wrong if you choose a surgeon who is not up to the task.
Unfortunately, although there are many plastic surgeons spread across the country, finding a reliable plastic surgery practice, such as Dr. Cohn Plastic Surgery in Birmingham, AL, can be a challenging task. Therefore, as you look for a plastic surgeon, you need to be prepared to do your due diligence and ask some uncomfortable questions to improve your odds of finding a good plastic surgeon.
Tips for Choosing a Good Plastic Surgeon
As mentioned above, finding a reliable plastic surgeon is not easy. Some of the tips you can count on to settle for a competent surgeon include:
Search the Internet and Consult the People Around You
If you do not know any plastic surgeons near you, you can simply take your phone or computer, go to your favorite browser, and search for plastic surgeons in your city. Alternatively, you can ask your friends, family, and other people you trust to refer you to the plastic surgeons they know. This way, you will end up with a comprehensive list of the surgeons you can potentially hire. However, you should not trust a surgeon simply because they have been recommended by people you trust. Instead, you need to find more information about the surgeons on your list for you to make a more informed choice.
Check Qualifications
Of course, you cannot afford to trust a quack with your health. Therefore, you need to ensure that the plastic surgery you pick is well-qualified to perform the procedure you are looking for.
Plastic surgery is a highly complex job that calls for many years of training and experience. Qualified plastic surgery specialists need to be certified by bodies such as the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Therefore, before you can trust a plastic surgeon, you need to ascertain if they are board-certified.
Check Hospital Affiliation
Not all plastic surgical procedures can be performed in the surgeon’s office. Indeed, major surgeries will need to be done in a hospital. Besides, even the plastic surgical procedures that can be done in the surgeon’s office can lead to complications that might need swift access to hospital facilities. Therefore, a good plastic surgeon should have hospital privileges. As such, before you can trust a plastic surgeon, you need to ask if they are affiliated with a hospital. If the answer is negative, it is a red flag you should not ignore.
Demand to See Their Previous Work
Of course, you want to have a rough idea of the results you can expect from the procedure you are looking for. Therefore, before you can settle for a given plastic surgeon, you should ask them to provide you with before-and-after photos of the procedures they have performed in the past. This way, you will be able to judge the competence of a surgeon based on what they have achieved in the recent past.
FAQs About Plastic Surgery
Does the procedure have risks?
Plastic surgery might involve some risks. For instance, it might cause issues such as:
- Pain numbness
- Excessive bleeding
- Unfavorable scarring.
- Infections
- Blood clots
You need to discuss these risks with your surgeon before signing the consent to get the procedure performed.
How much will the procedure cost?
Of course, you want to know how much the procedure is going to cost you before it can be done. The cost of a plastic surgical procedure can vary significantly depending on factors such as the extent of the imperfections that need to be corrected and the plastic surgeon you choose. Your plastic surgeon will help you have a rough estimate of the amount of money you will need to pay. If the procedure has some health benefits, you may ask if your medical insurance will be willing to cover part of the cost.
Are there medical professionals to answer post-op questions?
No matter how much research you do or how carefully you read post-op instructions, you may face difficulties that are unique to your case, making it necessary for you to consult a medical professional. Therefore, before you can choose to trust a given plastic surgeon, you need to ask them if their practice has accessible medical practitioners you can call when you have some post-op questions.
How long is the downtime?
Downtime is the amount of time you will need to be able to go back to your day-to-day activities following a surgical procedure. Depending on the plastic surgical procedure you are looking for, it will be anything from a couple of weeks to a couple of months. Therefore, you need to discuss the issue with your surgeon to plan for the days you will not be able to go to work and perform other household tasks.