Hiring a Plastic Surgeon - Forging a Relationship

When most experts give advice on what you should look for in a plastic surgeon, they start throwing around words like "experience", "education", and "reputation. While these are undoubtedly important things to make sure your doctor has, the importance of simply finding someone you can work with should not be understated. When at its best, cosmetic surgery is a collaborative process between doctor and patient. No, that doesn't mean you'll be holding the scalpel, but rather you should be able to work together with your doctor to determine exactly what it is you want to get out of your procedure. Forging a good working relationship with your doctor is essential.

Trust

If possible, you want to get to a point where you can fully trust your plastic surgeon. As with many medical arenas, the success of your operation often depends on your being fully forthcoming and honest about anything you are asked (and even some things that you aren't). If you don't trust your doctor enough to speak up when something is being done that you don't like, or to mention something in your medical history that could have an impact on your surgery, you could be taking unnecessary risks.

Results

It's been said before, but many procedures under the scope of a plastic surgeon are almost as much about art as they are science. Two skilled doctors could perform the same procedure and come up with two very different results. How they go about achieving these results could be down to technique, philosophy, and more, but it is often because two doctors may have different ideas about what looks good. If you have a good working relationship with your doctor, you will have a better chance of getting the results you want from the procedure.

Knowledge

Some doctors take a relaxed attitude towards their relationship with their patients. Instead of going out of their way to educate their patients on the process, they leave it up to the patient to ask questions. But often the patient doesn't even understand that there is a question to be asked. If you forge a good working relationship with your plastic surgeon, two things can happen. One, he may be more willing to sit and think about what you need to know about the process and, two, you'll be more comfortable about asking questions. Combined, these will illuminate your path and help you understand what you're getting into.