Davis

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.