The success of your plastic surgery procedure is an important deciding factor for your entire plastic surgery experience. The more enriching and productive your consultation is, the better you’ll be able to understand the entire process and the more comfortable you’ll be. So how do you ensure a successful plastic surgery consultation? Let’s look at 5 ways you can prepare for your consultation to make sure it goes as smoothly as possible.

  1. Do Your Research

The best way to go into your procedure with eyes wide open is to do some preliminary research before your consultation. Learn some basic details about your procedure. Why is that procedure effective for a certain condition? You should learn about what to expect, what will happen during the procedure, and what your results will be like.

  1. Bring Questions

You can show your surgeon that you’re ready and serious about the procedure by bringing a set a questions and concerns to the consultation. Having questions at the ready is a great way to make sure you’re informed about the details that are important to you. Once you ask basic questions about the procedure and what to expect, you and your surgeon can dive into a more complex and detailed discussion about plastic surgery.

Your surgeon is also an unbelievable important part of your plastic surgery journey, and it’s essential that you get to know them better. Plan on asking questions like “What’s your experience with this procedure?” or “How many times do you perform this procedure a year?” Establishing trust with your surgeon is an essential step before your procedure, so make sure you feel comfortable with them before moving forward in your plastic surgery journey.

  1. Gather Your Medical Records

You should come to your consultation with detailed records of your medical history. This medical history should include your history with certain diseases and conditions, as well as list of medications you’re currently taking. There are certain conditions and medications that disqualify you from certain procedures, so for the sake of your own safety, it’s essential that you be honest and detailed about your medical history. It’s also essential that you answer honestly about any drug or alcohol use.

  1. Schedule Around the Consultation

A calm, comfortable consultation is key to a detailed, thorough discussion. Make sure you schedule your consultation on a day where you can devote as much time as your need to talk to your doctor. A rushed consultation is a recipe for misunderstanding and miscommunication.

  1. Think About It

The ideal plastic surgery patient is someone who has realistic expectations for their procedure. Before your consultation, take some time to think about why you’re really considering surgery. Is it to fix a flaw that you’ve been dealing with for years? A way for you to feel confident about your body? Do you want to turn back time for a more youthful face? What exactly do you hope to accomplish? By the time you walk into that consultation, you should be able to communicate your goals clearly to your surgeon.

Now that you’re a little closer to a successful plastic surgery journey, it’s time to schedule a consultation with a caring, compassionate surgeon. Contact Dreyfuss Plastic Surgery now, for a consultation.

Dr. David Dreyfuss joins eHealth Radio and the Plastic Surgery Information Channel!

Listen to his recent interview with host Eric Michaels & guest Dr. David Dreyfuss discuss the following:

  • What are the different types of breast implants and how do patients know which implants are best for them?
  • What are the different incisions and which ones leave minimal scars?
  • Do breast implants affect ones ability to have kids and breast feed?
  • How long do breast implants last – is implant replacement required every 10-15 years?
  • What is the recovery time like and how long should a patient wait before shopping for bras?

Duration: 9:26

Last week, Dr. Dreyfuss was interviewed for a podcast on ehealth radio about: How do Patients Know Which Implants are Best for Them?

Dr. David Dreyfuss, a board certified plastic surgeon from the greater Chicagoland area specializing in breast implants and aesthetic breast surgery at Dreyfuss Plastic Surgery joins eHealth Radio and the Plastic Surgery Information Channel.

 

 

Listen to interview with host Eric Michaels & guest Dr. David Dreyfuss discuss the following:

  • What are the different types of breast implants and how do patients know which implants are best for them?
  • What are the different incisions and which ones leave minimal scars?
  • Do breast implants affect ones ability to have kids and breast feed?
  • How long do breast implants last – is implant replacement required every 10-15 years?
  • What is the recovery time like and how long should a patient wait before shopping for bras?

Duration: 9:26

Dr. Dreyfuss received his medical degree at the prestigious Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. He found his passion in plastic surgery working with some of the founding fathers of breast surgery at Emory, such as Drs. Bostwick, Coleman and Nahai. Dr. Dreyfuss completed a full general surgery residency, followed by a plastic surgery fellowship at the University of Chicago. He remained integrally involved with teaching as a clinical instructor at the University for many years. Dr. Dreyfuss has presented at many local and nation meetings to other plastic surgeons about breast surgery and breast implants.

Dr. Dreyfuss is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and is an active member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, The Illinois Plastic Surgery Society and is a fellow in the American College of Surgeons. He is a distinguished member of the National Council of Leaders in Breast Aesthetics, an elite group of a few hundred plastic surgeons from around the world.
Dr. Dreyfuss welcomes the opportunity to include you among the thousands of extremely satisfied patients in his practice.

Can plastic surgery procedures be considered a marital asset?  That’s what a North Dakota attorney argued in a recent divorce case.  According to an AP article in the Star Tribune, the judge called the idea “nonsense.”  Read: N.D. High Court considers Lasik, Breast implants values in divorce case

In the UK, employees of a cosmetic surgery clinic are showing off their surgery results in a special 2010 calendar.  They say the “calendar is tongue-in-cheek, but tasteful” and “it features girls of all ages and they all look amazing.”  Read and see slideshow: The Sun News: Cosmetic Surgery Calendar Girls.

The word has definitely spread about the proposed elective cosmetic tax, and plastic surgeons and other professionals are definitely opinionated about it. Some of the recent criticisms of the tax are downright scathing. Read Bloomberg News: Breast Enlargement Tax That Failed in Jersey Taints U.S. Plan.

The ASPS and ASAPS have responded to the proposed cosmetic surgery tax, calling it discriminatory, arbitrary, and ineffective.  Details of the bill are below:

”SEC. 5000B. IMPOSITION OF TAX ON ELECTIVE COSMETIC MEDICAL PROCEDURES.
”(a) IN GENERAL.-There is hereby imposed on any cosmetic surgery and medical procedure a tax equal to 5 percent of the amount paid for such procedure (determined without regard to this section), whether paid by insurance or otherwise.
”(b) COSMETIC SURGERY AND MEDICAL PROCEDURE.-For purposes of this section, the term ‘cosmetic surgery and medical procedure’ means any cosmetic surgery (as defined in section 213(d)(9)(B)) or other similar procedure which-
”(1) is performed by a licensed medical professional, and
”(2) is not necessary to ameliorate a deformity arising from, or directly related to, a congenital abnormality, a personal injury resulting from an accident or trauma, or disfiguring disease.

Because 86 percent of cosmetic surgeries are purchased by women, many of which are middle class working people, the society has argued that it would be discriminatory.

The bill also imposes the burden of making clear distinctions between procedures that are “medically necessary” and simply elective.  Who should be making these distinctions?  Should it be a tax auditor?  Dr. Jennifer Walden appeared on Fox news last night to discuss such problems.

583053Is there some part of your lifestyle, such as an activity, that you think contributes most to your appearance?  Do you go to great lengths in order to look good? Why?   Is there a feature your body that you are more conscious of than any other?

These are the sort of questions asked by researchers during the Beauty for Life survey, a collaborative effort facilitated by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.  ASAPS President Renato Saltz says the survey was intended to help physicians “understand what patients are most concerned about at different stages of their lives.”

Survey respondents were divided into age groups to determine each generation’s perceptual differences regarding physical appearance of the self and physical appearance of ones partner.

Respondents in their 20s, 30s, and 40s said that a “fit, well proportioned body” was what they found most appealing in another person.  But when it came to their own physical characteristics, the same group was most concerned about their own faces.  The abdomen and hips were said to be areas of significant concern (especially in the 30s), but across the board, patients said they were most conscious of their facial appearance.

When asked about their motivation to maintain a healthy appearance, the following reasons topped the list:

  • Increase self confidence
  • Make friends
  • Attract partners
  • Increase job prospects

In all age groups, cosmetic procedures ranked fairly high, alongside diet, exercise, and skin care.  Through the link below you can view fancy colored graphs (in a pdf file) of the Beauty for Life survey results.

http://www.surgery.org/private/download/BFLUserSurvey.pdf

Political blogs and news providers around the country are buzzing about the idea of a cosmetic surgery tax being introduced to finance health care reform.

Writers of the Speaker’s Lobby say the idea came from a treasury department official, and that the tax proposal is “off the table” for now.  Apparently, most finance committee members are not even aware of the tax proposal.  LA Times blog Top of the Ticket reports the tax would be a 10% charge tacked onto elective procedures like a liposuction, breast augmentation, a facelift and other popular cosmetic enhancements.

Two strong objections can be leveled against this proposal:

First and foremost, such a tax would be paid almost entirely by women.  Despite the growing popularity of cosmetic procedures for men, women still make up over 90 percent of the patient demographic in the United States.  Obviously, imposing a tax such as the one in question would unfairly discriminate against women.  Think about it this way: would a tax be imposed on men who purchase expensive tattoos, fashionable clothing, or bodybuilding equipment?  It doesn’t seem likely.

Second, a common misconception that’s probably at work here (which may have been true in the past) is that only the rich and famous pursue cosmetic surgery.  Maybe you can remember the New York Times story by Natasha Singer titled “Who Is the Real Face of Plastic Surgery?” in which Ms. Singer discussed the fact that a large number of patients choose to finance cosmetic surgery, just as they would a new car.  Also, let’s not forget the 2004 survey conducted by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons; it revealed that nearly “a third of people considering plastic surgery reported average household incomes below $30,000.”

According to the New York Times, surgical practices in Prague are offering free enhancements to nurses as an employment incentive.  One nurse chose to undergo breast augmentation and liposuction, free of charge.  

The piece raises some interesting ethical questions: While the procedures could certainly be beneficial to individual nurses in the short term, would such a practice harm the nursing profession as a whole?  

According to reporter Dan Bilefsky, nurses in the region “insist they are under enormous pressure to look good in a society where attractiveness is often as highly prized as clinical skills.”  Critics argue that the incentives could promote an idealized body image for nurses, in a profession already suffering from misconceptions about technical competence.  A spokeswoman from the Czech nurses association argues that nurses are still perceived as “low level workers” with little to offer besides manual labor.  Nurses after all, aren’t intended to be models, but caregivers that provide an enormous benefit to the medical profession and the public they serve.  A misplaced emphasis on their physical appearance could undermine public perceptions of their competence and value.

Still, others may not see any problem with offering incentives through procedures like breast augmentation or rhinoplasty; perhaps they’re analogous to employee discounts at a retailer, vacation packages, or other career perks.  

The supposed ethical problems brought by these surgical incentive programs probably aren’t a product of the programs alone, but rather an objection to the sexism and discrimination that underlie them.

Celebrities like Mandy Moore, Brooke Shields and Marisa Tomei attended a Hollywood charity event last March to help launch the Latisse Wishes campaign, a campaign to support the Make-A-Wish foundation and generate interest in the new eyelash enhancement drug. The Make-A-Wish foundation is known for granting the wishes of suffering children.

Latisse, Allergan’s new eyelash enhancer and latest offering, is the first drug to be approved by the FDA for the treatment of hypotrichosis, a condition characterized by inadequate eyelashes. The Latisse Wishes campaign was launched by Allergan with a $500,000 initial contribution to Make-A-Wish.

Hollywood beauty expert and participant, Anastasia Soare, enthusiastically expressed her support, saying “I constantly work to help make women’s beauty wishes come true, and now we can help children’s wishes come true through the LATISSE™ Wishes campaign.”

It’s not a mere coincidence that Make-A-Wish was chosen as a beneficiary for Allergan’s campaign; the superstitious tradition of blowing on an eyelash to make a wish come true, provides a clever marketing strategy, backed by philanthropy.

The campaign is encouraging consumers to help double the donation amount by visiting www.Latisse.com and registering their support. From now until the end of the year, Allergan will donate 5 dollars for each new registration, up to one million dollars.

Latisse is now available in Chicago and Munster, Indiana; contact us for more information.