You’ve researched your procedure. You’ve spoken with friends. You’ve identified a board-certified plastic surgeon and scheduled your consultation. What happens next?
A plastic surgery consultation is equal parts learning and job interview. The actual consultation may last about an hour. While there, you’ll want to evaluate the surgeon, staff, office and patient outcomes.
When you arrive, check in at the front desk and fill out paperwork if you weren’t advised to do so ahead of time. Some practices will mail you the forms or ask you to download them from the website. Filling out the forms before your appointment is a great option that will allow you to relax and simply focus on gathering the information you need.
You’ll be brought into an exam room where you’ll meet a medical assistant or nurse. She or he will ask you questions about your medical history, the current medications and supplements you may be taking, and why you chose to consult. If your area of concern is your breasts or body, you’ll be asked to change into a gown so the doctor can examine you.
Once the doctor comes in, he or she will need to know what you want to change about yourself. Tell the doctor honestly how you feel now and how you wish to feel and look after surgery. The physician will discuss the procedure or set of procedures that would help you achieve your goal. He or she will also discuss the type of anesthesia, incisions, recovery time, and risks.
“Since every one is different, plastic surgery consultations are tailored to the individual. We need to see the area of concern and evaluate the skin to understand how to achieve the desired outcome. A consultation for a tummy tuck may require just the abdominoplasty or turn into a lipo-abdominoplasty or simply be addressed with CoolSculpting or Vanquish. Whichever way, we can make you feel more comfortable about the way you look,” says Dr. Said Samra.
When it’s time to ask questions, find out how long the surgeon has been in practice and how frequently he or she performs your specific procedure. Review the before and after photos of the surgeon’s work for that procedure to see if the outcomes match your aesthetic goals. Ask where your surgery will take place. It may be a hospital or private surgery center.
If you are interested in more than one surgery or if your outcome requires multiple procedures, ask if they can be performed at the same time. You may save money this way. The other option is to break them up into separate surgeries depending upon time-on-table, recovery time, and finances.
Finally, you’ll meet your patient coordinator. She will go over the costs for your procedure(s). Fees will include, the surgeon’s fee, operating room costs, anesthesia, devices such as breast implants or compression garments, and follow-up appointments. She’ll also let you know when deposits and payments are due.
If you choose to book the surgery, the coordinator will schedule pre-op appointments, your surgery date, and post-op appointments. She will also go over financing options. There are many zero percent options available if you want to pay off the surgery over time. If you decide to think about it, ask the coordinator for how long the quote is valid.
If you’ve been thinking about cosmetic surgery, call Samra Plastic Surgery at 732-739-2100 to secure $500 or 10% off (whichever is more) by February 29, 2020.
