Choosing a plastic surgeon is probably one of the most significant decisions you will ever make. Aside from the initial decision to have this kind of surgery in the first place, selecting the right surgeon is of critical importance in ensuring you don’t end up with unnecessary complications which can at worst ruin your life. Plastic surgery is a difficult thing to go through with for both the patient and the doctor, and one false move could leave you regretting it for the rest of your life.
That’s why, after deliberating long and hard as to why you want to go through with the surgery, you should also think carefully about which surgeon you want to go with. That means paying a visit to a number of surgeries, both in and around your local area, to find a surgeon that has both the right credentials on paper and provides you with that all-important personal reassurance.
Qualifications
Obviously the first thing you want to make sure is that any surgeon you’re considering is suitably qualified. Apart from his actual University diploma, where does he practice? Does he have a successful surgery? You can usually tell a lot about a surgeon from the presentation – if he comes across as sharply dressed and professional and runs a surgery that seems busy, clean and is well designed, chances are you’re probably along the right lines.
Experience
How many successful ops has this surgeon carried out? Ask the surgeon about his previous experience of your specific procedure and weigh up the response you get. Has he ever had a patient that has been dissatisfied, or scarred by the procedure? What kind of things could go wrong, and what factors contribute to the risks? Furthermore, how can you avoid ending up with side effects, and how easily can they be treated? An experienced surgeon will be able to answer all your questions with confidence and will provide you with satisfactory responses in an unpatronising and reassuring way.
Intuition
Probably one of the most valuable tools in your armoury is your intuition – in other words, the overall general impression you get of that particular surgeon. Good or bad, your intuition should always be the overriding factor in situations like this – a good surgeon should make you feel comfortable and at ease, and it something doesn’t quite sit right with you, it’s probably best to try someone else.
