Asking about a surgeon's experience with your specific procedure, and reading before-after photos with care, are both prevention steps. The better you understand what a surgeon has done and what the photos do and do not show, the fewer surprises you face later.
Ask about your procedure, not surgery in general
Experience with one operation does not automatically mean experience with another. When you meet a surgeon, name the exact procedure you are considering and ask about that one.
Questions about experience
- How many times have you carried out this exact operation?
- What training do you have for it?
- What do you do when a result needs a correction?
- Is it possible to speak with the office about how follow-up is handled?
What a consultation can cover
For an example of what a consultation can cover for one procedure, see the American Society of Plastic Surgeons page on the rhinoplasty consultation. It is about the nose, but the idea of preparing questions applies to any procedure.
Reading before-after photos
Photos are useful, and they have limits. Ask the following when you look at them.
- Are these photos of patients who had the same procedure I am considering?
- Were they taken from the same angle and with the same lighting?
- How long after surgery was the after photo taken?
- Are they the office's own patients?
Feelings and outcomes a photo leaves out
A photo cannot tell you how a patient felt about the result or what happened afterward. It also cannot tell you whether your own face would respond the same way. Treat photos as one input and ask the surgeon to explain what is similar and different about your case.
Candidacy and photos
Surgeons describe who is and is not a good candidate for an operation. For an example of how that is laid out, see the American Society of Plastic Surgeons page on brow lift candidates. Ask your surgeon how they decide candidacy for your procedure.
Starting young and repeat treatments
Some readers wonder whether starting treatments early changes later needs. One American Society of Plastic Surgeons blog post asks if you start injectables young, can you prevent aging. Ask your own surgeon what a long-term plan would look like for you.
A paper on eyelid surgery complications
Reading about complications is part of preparing, not a reason to panic. One paper covers complications of blepharoplasty and how they are prevented and managed. It is about eyelid surgery, and it shows the kind of material you can ask your surgeon to explain for your procedure.
Experience, photos and the correction question
Ask about experience with your exact procedure, look at photos with the questions above, and ask how your surgeon handles a correction.