What should I ask my plastic surgeon at my cosmetic surgery consultation?

When you are planning a cosmetic procedure, it is important to remember that the more you know about what to expect, the smoother and easier the whole process will be. You will no doubt have done plenty of research in the run-up to booking a consultation, but ahead of the consultation is the time to pull out all the stops and think about all the questions you want answers to.

For the more organised amongst us, you’ll probably already be writing these down and that is the first piece of advice here – make a list of all the questions you want to ask. If you don’t, you’ll probably forget something. There is always a lot of information to digest. To give you a helping hand to start that list off, here are some of the common questions you might be wanting answers to at your consultation.

Cosmetic surgery consultation questions: How frequently have you performed the particular operation I am interested in?

This is a good one as it allows you to understand how experienced your surgeon is in a particular procedure. A cosmetic surgeon who has a lot of experience in the area you’re interested in will have had the benefit of working with lots of different body types and shapes, they will also no doubt have an extensive catalogue of before and after imagery that they can show you.

Cosmetic surgery consultation questions: How long will it take to recover?

A very sensible question as this will determine whether or not you need time off work and how much support you will need. It will also help you understand what will be possible in the days/weeks/months following your operation. Depending on the procedure, sometimes recovery is very quick, whereas other operations take months to fully heal from.

Cosmetic surgery consultation questions: What should I expect from the recovery process?

Setting realistic expectations about how quickly you can expect to recover is important, as it helps your mental well-being. If you know what you expect then you can prepare yourself mentally and practically for the recovery process. From a practical perspective, if you are having a large operation then you will want to give some thought to post-operative support from family and/or friends. If you are keen to get back to exercising, this is also something you should talk about so that you understand what limitations there are and how long these will last.

Cosmetic surgery consultation questions: How much will this cost?

Don’t be afraid to ask for a full breakdown of costs upfront; cost is an element of surgery that must be discussed so you shouldn’t feel awkward about asking for clarity upfront. Importantly, if you are being given cost reduction options such as limited-time deals, recommend a friend or buy one procedure and receive a discount on another, these should be warning signs. Cosmetic surgery is an important lifestyle decision involving legitimate medical practices and you should not feel rushed into a decision because of a financial ‘deal’ that is on offer. If a deal sounds too good to be true based on the research you have done into costs, it probably is.

In summary, the more you ask at your consultation, the more you will know about what to expect and ultimately the more satisfied you are likely to be with the whole process. Call 01926 436332 to arrange a consultation plastic surgeon Mr Alan Park at his Warwickshire cosmetic surgery clinic.