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Once you decide that you want plastic surgery, you are going to wonder what you should expect from a plastic surgeon. Next, you’ll promptly be confronted by a second difficult question: How are you going to find a plastic surgeon? End up with an inexperienced surgeon, or one who overplays their experience, and your chances of a poor result increase, which can mean additional costs, time, and stress.

A website’s a good starting point. Survey the surgeons in your area and hone in on a handful that most closely aligns with your expectations. At this early point, they can be basic things like credentials, experience, proximity to your home. Then schedule consultations with those surgeons.

You’ll want to arrive armed with questions. Everything should be fair game. Ask about the facilities where the surgery is performed. Ask about the recovery and the risks of the procedure. These are a few other key points you want to be sure to discuss. Overall, we want you to be prepared for what you might expect from a plastic surgeon.

Board-certification

State medical boards don’t require a surgeon to be specifically trained in the procedures they offer. That’s more than a little unsettling, right? The issue is most acute in cosmetic surgery, where there are lots of other specialists performing plastic surgical procedures.

So, it’s crucial to find a board-certified plastic surgeon to perform your procedure, specifically one who’s board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. It’s the only board for plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures that’s recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties, the gold-standard certifying body for specialty boards.

Experience

Likewise, you want to ensure that your plastic surgeon’s experienced in the procedure you want, not just in general. Operating on a nose, as you can imagine, is a lot different from operating on a breast. A good rule of thumb, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, is that the surgeon’s performed your procedure once or more per week for five years or more.

Aesthetic

This may sound a little pretentious, but there’s a certain level of artistry that’s required of a plastic surgeon. Think about it: There’s really only one way to remove a gall bladder, but there’s lots of nuances to cosmetic procedures. Five plastic surgeons may give you five different plans for a breast augmentation, or a tummy tuck, or a rhinoplasty, and so on.

Ask to see before-and-after photos for your procedure and, ideally, of patients who look like you. That will give you the clearest sense of how that surgeon’s interpreted what you’re asking for.

Rapport

Don’t overlook your comfort level with the surgeon. Take note of how willing you are to trust them. This is probably a foreign experience for you, so you want to make sure that you feel confident speaking up at any point if you have a question or a concern. For the first time, it’s hard to know what you should expect from a plastic surgeon, so ask questions.

Yeah, it’s a bit of gut feeling, but your opinion’s the only one that matters here.

As a board-certified plastic surgeon, I like to think that I help to improve my patients’ lives in some small way. But it’s not always through elective procedures. Another aspect that gets far less attention is the role of a plastic surgeon in emergency care. I’m often called in to help treat traumatic injuries, like burns and deep cuts, because emergency cosmetic surgery can help guarantee minimal scarring when healing from an accident.

What can you do to minimize scarring after an injury?

Your actions in the immediate aftermath of a mild injury will have a big influence on how you’ll heal and the resulting scar. For a minor burn or a common cut, clean the wound with warm water and a gentle cleanser, and apply cool compresses. Then, apply a moisturizing ointment like Aquaphor and cover the wound with gauze or a bandage.

Ignore your mom’s advice about airing it out. That moisture’s going to enable skin cells and blood vessels to regenerate quickly. So reapply the ointment frequently. If a scab forms, it’s too dry. Once the wound heals, apply a scar-reducing balm daily and protect it from the sun.

If it requires stitches—keep in mind that any ragged cut that doesn’t receive stitches will scar—ask for the plastic surgeon in emergency care on call, or, if you have a relationship with a plastic surgeon, call them. An ER physician, understandably, is most concerned with stitching up the wound quickly and efficiently. Trouble is, it could result in some noticeable scarring. A plastic surgeon will do it with an eye toward minimizing the scar.

While it’s fresh on your mind, make an appointment to have the stitches removed within the next few days because waiting too long can create its own kind of scar.

If your wound is severe

In the case of a severe wound—a bad burn, a deep dog bite—it’s usually treated first with debriding, which removes the dead tissue, and then reconstructive surgery. In this case, make sure you contact a plastic surgeon in emergency care as soon as possible. These are a few of the most common kinds:

• With a skin graft, skin is removed from one area of the body and transplanted to another. It’s frequently used to treat burns, but it can also be used during breast and nose reconstruction.
• Microsurgery is employed to reattach a lost finger, toe, lip, or ear. The plastic surgeon uses a microscope that allows them to sew tiny blood vessels and nerves.
• A free flap procedure is most commonly associated with breast reconstruction after a mastectomy, but it’s also done following surgery to remove head or neck cancer. Essentially, tissue, muscle, or bone is transplanted along with the original blood supply from one area of the body to the surgical site in order to reconstruct the area.

The key in every instance of wound care, whether it’s a basic cut on your face or major surgery, is to treat it promptly. The faster you act, or seek help, the better your chances of preventing infection and minimizing any disfigurement.

Silicone breast implants were taken off the US market in 1992 in the wake of thousands of lawsuits claiming they leaked and caused connective tissue disorders and cancer. The rupture of those implants was usually silent, which means most went unnoticed until they were detected by an MRI.

Over the course of my career, I’ve helped hundreds of women remove or replace their older silicone implants, and I’ve performed breast augmentations on many others. As with every type of cosmetic procedure, my role as a physician is neither to encourage nor discourage but to ensure that my patient is fully—and objectively—informed of the risks, both during the surgery itself and years later on.

A couple of things to keep in mind if you’re considering breast implants or having trouble with your breast implants:

Your implants aren’t made to last forever.

The life of breast implants, both silicone gel and saline, varies by person. Some may keep their original implants for 20 or 30 years. But, most will need to have them replaced much sooner than that. As a general rule of thumb, the older the breast implants, the greater the risk of developing complications. So, plan to replace them preemptively.

The better the dialogue, the better the outcome.

Breast augmentations have come a long way. Gone are the days of a one-size-fits-all procedure. Board-certified plastic surgeons today are adept at tailoring every consideration to the patient’s needs and wants, from the size and shape of the breast, to the placement of the implants and the incisions.  We are lucky enough to live in a time where most likely you will not experience trouble with your breast implants. Key to that process is communicating openly and honestly with your surgeon. If, for example, you developed larger than expected scar tissue from an earlier surgery, make sure your surgeon’s aware. It could impact your outcome here.

Keep a close watch!

Following your surgery, your surgeon will provide you with instructions for how to monitor your breast implants, which will include routine mammography screening for breast cancer. The FDA also recommends that those with silicone gel breast implants get MRI screenings three years after their surgery and every two years after that. In between, if you notice any sort of breast pain or other trouble with your breast implants, bring it to the attention of your primary care physician. Breast implants are far less likely to rupture than they once were, but it can still occur, and when they do, it’s usually without any obvious signs.

If you’re reading this, you’re probably familiar with a facelift to some degree. But, just to make sure we’re all on the same page, here’s a short description: It’s a cosmetic surgical procedure that lifts and tightens sagging skin on the face and neck to create a more youthful appearance.

The recovery can be relatively intense. A bandage may be placed around your face to minimize swelling and bruising. And small tubes are sometimes used to draw off any excess blood or fluid. You should be able to return to work within a couple of weeks, but it could take up to a year for the all of the residual swelling and bruising and changes to skin sensation to completely subside.

A mini facelift, as you may have already suspected, is a less invasive surgery with a comparatively easier recovery. Essentially, it entails a couple of smaller incisions and less cutting of the underlying tissue. The incisions are typically located along the hairline above each ear or in the natural creases that surround the ears. Through them, the tissue around the cheeks—as opposed to the entire face—is lifted and tightened, improving sagging jowls and refining the jawline.

In some cases, local anesthesia with sedation may even be a better option than general anesthesia. And the recovery time with a mini facelift is much shorter. Most are back to work within a week, some in as little as a long weekend. Thanks to the shorter incisions, there’s also less pain and swelling than there is with a full facelift.

Who’s a good candidate?

The results are obviously milder with a mini facelift because it’s a far less extensive surgery than the facelift. It won’t remedy prominent jowls, nor will it do more for the neck than provide it with a subtle lift. It’s only really able to treat mildly to moderately sagging skin. For those reasons, it’s utilized, largely, as a means to address the early signs of aging before they become too pronounced.

An appropriate candidate is someone in their forties or early fifties who are exhibiting some subtle facial sagging that’s centered in the middle of their face. Once we enter our fifties, skin laxity becomes more significant all around the face and neck—and more difficult to correct. But there are exceptions, such as someone who’s never been overweight. Skin laxity is directly tied to age-related collagen loss. But thin people have less fat on their faces, which places less stress on the skin. So, those of us in good health may be a candidate for a mini facelift into our early fifties.

One step further

It’s not uncommon for mini facelifts to be paired with a nonsurgical procedure, like Botox. It won’t add to your recovery time, and it’ll enhance the parts of your face—the forehead in the case of Botox—that the mini facelift will not, contributing to an outcome that’s bound to exceed expectations. After all, who among us, given the opportunity, would pass on trading a few days to look a few years younger?

A lot of people ask if plastic surgery is right for them? Determining whether to have plastic surgery is a very personal decision for everyone. There’s no wrong reason for justifying it, but it still needs to be carefully considered from every angle. To help with that process, here are a few key questions to ask yourself.

Why do I want plastic surgery?

The catalyst for your desire to have plastic surgery may be easy to pinpoint: a genetic trait, a trauma, aging. But, why do you want plastic surgery? And why now?

Be sure to trace those questions to their root and answer them honestly. Plastic surgery can provide a big confidence boost. If, however, you’re doing it for the sake of someone else’s happiness or to help soften a particularly tumultuous time in your life, you could be setting yourself up for disappointment. Do it for yourself, and yourself alone.

What do you know about the procedure?

Obviously, a plastic surgeon’s going to answer any questions you may have, but you’ll want to arrive for your initial consultation already fairly well-educated about your procedure. (Reading this blog post is a good start.)

Go online and try to find as much as you can not only about the procedure itself but also what constitutes the ideal candidate for it, what you should realistically expect for an outcome, any potential complications, and a general idea of what it’s going to cost. The more knowledgeable you can be entering your consultation, the more productive it’s going to be.

Can you afford it?

Most plastic surgery is considered cosmetic, so it’s not covered by health insurance. And a surgical procedure can be costly. But many board-certified plastic surgeons offer a variety of payment options, including credit cards and health care financing. So, the cost shouldn’t necessarily be a deterrent. You should, however, be prepared when you meet with a financing specialist during your consultation.

You’ll also want to get the exact price for your procedure and ensure that there aren’t any hidden fees. The total cost should include the surgeon’s fee, the cost of the anesthesiologist, the surgical center’s fees, follow-up appointments, and surgical garments. Don’t forget to factor in the cost of any medications.

Can you handle the recovery?

It’s only natural to focus on the “after” picture, but the recovery from your intended procedure shouldn’t be glossed over. You’re going to be tired, sore, swollen, and bruised for a few days, or even a couple of weeks, depending on your procedure.

Make sure you have ample vacation time because you’re not going to want to push yourself and risk complications. If you have young kids, is there a family member or close friend you can ask to help you look after them until you feel more like your normal self?

Where do I find a surgeon?

Once you’ve answered all of the above to your satisfaction, start searching for a surgeon online. Filter them through a couple of qualifiers:

• Is she/he a board-certified plastic surgeon?
• Does she/he have extensive experience with my procedure?

Once you’ve narrowed the field down to a few surgeons, schedule consultations with each of them. That face-to-face meeting is going to help you see how much rapport you have with a surgeon, and that should never be discounted. Plastic surgery, as we said, is a personal decision. So, naturally, the connection between patient and doctor plays a critical part. Contact Dr. Davis today and see if plastic surgery is right for you.