Before facial plastic surgery, ask about the facility and the anesthesia. Treat these questions as prevention steps: if you know where surgery will happen and who will provide anesthesia, there is less to untangle if something needs correcting later.
Why ask before the consultation ends
The facility and the anesthesia plan are easy to leave for the last minute. Asking early gives you time to compare answers from more than one office. It also lets you put the answers in writing, which helps if you ever need to review what was planned.
Questions about the facility
- Where will the surgery take place?
- Is the facility accredited, and by whom? Can you show me the proof?
- What happens if there is an emergency during or after surgery?
- Where will I recover, and who will check on me?
Questions about anesthesia
- What type of anesthesia is planned, and why that type?
- Who will provide it, and what are that person's credentials?
- What will I be asked to do before surgery, such as fasting or stopping certain medicines?
- Who do I call if I feel unwell after I go home?
Accreditation and anesthesia credentials on the record
Put these questions to the office so you do not have to guess. To read about surgical risks before you ask the office about its setting, see the American Society of Plastic Surgeons page on facelift risks and safety.
Facility fee, anesthesia fee and a repeat visit
- Ask whether the facility fee and the anesthesia fee are quoted on their own lines, so you can see each part of the cost.
- Ask whether a return to the facility for a correction would carry its own facility fee.
Reading about procedures in general
If you are also weighing a larger operation, there is an American Society of Plastic Surgeons article on face and neck lifts and youthful contours. Use it to build a list of questions, then take those to your consultation.
Comparing facility and anesthesia answers
Write down the facility and anesthesia answers as you hear them, and compare them across offices. Your anesthesia provider is the person to confirm the anesthesia plan for your case.