Having Cosmetic Surgery is Not Like Dropping-In For a Haircut
Today our patient correspondent and consultant, mentioned a conversation with a patient from Europe. The patient was coming to us to have nose surgery done and seemed a bit put off when told that it was necessary to make all the arrangements ahead of time. Ideally, the arrangements would include having a Skype consultation with Dr. Kotler so any questions or issues that the patient wanted to present to him could be done before the patient gets on an airplane and travels thousands of miles to come here. Secondly, after the Skype session, if the decision has been made to have the surgery, it is very important that the patient have a physical exam and the appropriate laboratory and x-ray work done well before surgery. After all, if there is a medical problem, surgery cannot be performed. Cosmetic plastic surgery is only done when the patient’s general health condition is excellent. There can be no compromises. So if there is a problem, you surely want to know well ahead of time so that schedules can be amended and most importantly the medical problem could be attended to before flying across the pond.
It seemed that the patient thought he could come in on a Monday, have a consultation and go to the operating room on Tuesday. And maybe that is because he, as others, tend to minimize the importance of a proper pre-operative evaluation and workup and that everything be put in proper order.
There are logistical issues that have to be considered. We have to reserve the operating room. We also have to reserve the doctor-anesthesiologist so that everything is properly anticipated and done properly. Depending on the procedure, necessary supplies and equipment have to be available and that cannot always be done on a one-day’s notice.
Most importantly, Dr. Kotler and the patient must have time together to discuss the patient’s desires either via Skype or, of course, person-to-person when the patient is here. Our preference, for patient safety and comfort, is that all possible communications and arrangements be made well ahead of time. And the patient just doesn’t get off the plane and go to the operating room. There is always a visit with me in the office one or two days before the procedure. It is important for me to do a complete examination and determine those things that are not possible to determine via Skype and computer imaging, of course. I want to explain in detail, face to face, how the procedure will be conducted. I explain to the patient that the anesthesiologist will call the night before, that the patient will see me in the morning, that the patient will have my home phone and cell phone number so that he knows we are ready and prepared to give the patient the care that he or she deserves.
It may be a tribute to cosmetic surgery that people feel that it is a “minor undertaking.” If it is a tribute, it is because we have been able to handle all the issues such as discomfort and provide for rapid recovery. But the truth is, we do not treat it with any less importance than a neurosurgeon treats a patient upon whom he will be doing brain surgery. After all, we trained as long to do our work as the neurosurgeon trained to do his.