Referral
The most common way people choose a plastic surgeon is through a recommendation from a trusted physician or friend. A patient should have reasonable confidence in a referral from a physician who has seen other patients before and after surgical procedures and can therefore provide an educated opinion. A patient can ask whether the physician would trust the surgeon to operate on him- or herself, a family member, or one of his patients.
Personal referrals are subject to much more bias than a physician referral is. Someone else’s experiences do not necessarily reflect the usual experience that patients have with a particular plastic surgeon. However, cumulative comments, good or bad, can suggest a trend.
The Consult
A patient must feel comfortable and be able to communicate with …show more content…
The office environment should create an aura of competence that makes patients feel comfortable and secure. The doctor should be willing and easily able to answer questions and should patiently explain things that patients might not fully understand, for example, the details of a procedure and its potential risks and complications. The doctor might show pre- and postoperative (“before and after”) photographs to help demonstrate results, but these are examples of individual patients’ experiences, not guarantees of a good outcome--the doctor is not likely to show disappointing results or complications. Many doctors are reluctant to use other patients' photographs to sell the operation, so will prefer not to show photographs. This is not because they have limited experience. In any case, red flags should be raised in the mind of any patient who consults a doctor who becomes upset or frustrated with these questions or who evades discussing them openly and