The Consultation
Your consultation is an opportunity to meet, not only a possible surgeon, but his/her staff as well. See if you feel comfortable with how you are treated and the way the office "feels."
What to discuss with your plastic surgeon.
Keep in mind that plastic surgeons expect and welcome any and all questions and should be comfortable answering them. In addition to asking your questions, be sure to request the doctor’s recent before and after patient photos.
Questions to ask the doctor about his or her experienceand background:
- How many breast augmentation surgeries do you perform each year?
- How many years have you performed breast implant procedures?
- Who is your “typical” patient?
- Are you board certified? If so, by what board?
- In what states are you licensed to practice surgery? (Some states provide information to prospective patients about a surgeon's history that includes disciplinary action and malpractice claims and settlements.)
- What are my options if I'm dissatisfied with the cosmetic outcome of my implanted breasts?
- What is the most common complication you encounter with breast implantation?
- What is your re-operation/correction rate with breast implantation, and what type of corrections do you perform most often?
Questions about the surgery itself:
- What are the risks and complications associated with having breast implants?
- How many operations on my implanted breast(s) can I expect over my lifetime?
- How will my breasts look if I choose to have the implants removed without replacement?
- What shape, size, surface texturing, incision site and placement site is recommended for me?
- How can I expect my implanted breasts to look over time?
- How will my ability to breast feed in the future be affected?
- How can I expect my implanted breasts to look after pregnancy or after breast feeding?
- What alternate procedures or products are available if I choose not to have breast implants?
- Who is the manufacturer of my breast implant?
- Does the manufacturer have a product warranty?
- What is the voluntary patient registry?
After meeting with a few surgeons and asking your questions, one doctor and his or her staff may stand out as the team with which you’re most comfortable scheduling your surgery.
