Blog

5 Things to Expect in a Plastic Surgery Consultation

March 28, 2019
By: Dr. Kelly

5 Things to Expect in a Plastic Surgery Consultation

Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty involving the restoration, reconstruction or alteration of the body. The results are meant to be permanent. With anything permanent or long-lasting, you want to feel the best about your decision to do the procedure.

One of the most important aspects to plastic surgery here at Center for Dermatology & Plastic Surgery is the first step: a consultation. Both Dr. Clay Forsberg and Dr. David Kelly require a consultation before scheduling a procedure.

There are 5 things you can expect to come out of a consultation.

Opportunity to Ask Questions About the Surgeon, His Team and the Procedure

We want our patients to have the opportunity to sit down with the surgeons to ask questions, meet the team and discuss all the desired procedures. Even if the patient does not know what they want to do or their options, our surgeons will help guide patients to the perfect procedure to achieve the desired results.

 Every patient is different and will have different concerns and questions. In general, patients should ask:

•             About the surgeon’s credential.

  • Are they board certified in plastic surgery?

•             Are they a good candidate for this procedure?

•             What are the risks of the procedure?

•             Are there ways to reduce these risks?

•             What is the postoperative course and the postoperative restrictions?

Both surgeons typically see all of their patients at least twice in consultation prior to having surgery. During the consultations they can determine if the patient is appropriate for the procedure and make sure questions are answered.

Honesty from Our Surgeons

It is very important for the patient and surgeon to be honest with each other and both have realistic expectations for the procedure and results.

Our surgeons will only perform procedures that are safe an appropriate for patients.

We hope that all of our patients understand that safety is the number one priority. We are committed to helping patients get the best possible natural result in the safest way possible. Our whole team pride themselves in the way we take care of our patients.

Our surgeons are not afraid to discuss possible risks of procedures as they feel it is very important that patients understand the risks, benefits and alternatives to each procedure.

We want all patients to feel comfortable and engaged in the decision process for surgery.

Procedure Plan

We want the consultation to be a comfortable experience that does not seem rushed, and have patients feel confident in our surgeons and their staff. During the consultation visit all patients will meet with the surgeon and his staff to understand their concerns and their goals.

Once the patient’s goals are understood, they will determine if the procedures are safe and appropriate for the patient.

“I always involve the patient in all decision making and give them options.”- Dr. David Kelly.

Every patient will meet with the surgeons’ patient coordinator, Beth for Dr. Kelly and Audrey for Dr. Forseberg, to answer any additional questions, discuss pricing and scheduling.

Both are wonderful in helping patients schedule the procedure and all preoperative and postoperative appointments.

Understanding of the Financials

“It is my opinion and practice to tell a patient to not have the surgery if they are stressed or concerned about the cost.” -Dr. David Kelly

We want our patients to be happy and we don’t want patients to be concerned about finances. However, there are ways we can help and the patient care coordinator can discuss financing options.

Confidence in Center for Dermatology & Plastic Surgery

It is very common for patients to feel nervous and unsure when contemplating plastic surgery procedures.

We try to instill confidence by listening to all patients’ questions and then answering each one. It is extremely important to our surgeons and their staff that patients feel 100% comfortable before any procedure is performed. We will work with patients and have them come back for further consultation visits if there are remaining questions or concerns

Our entire plastic surgery team loves taking care of our patients. Anyone on our staff is happy to talk to patients before or after the surgical procedure. Specifically, all patients have the surgeons phone number and email and the phone number and email of their patient care coordinator.

If you are interested in plastic surgery or want to schedule a consultation, visit our Plastic Surgery section to learn more about our surgeons, our procedures and how to schedule.