Got a Question?  Ask it!  Why Worry?

I like for patients to have every question answered.  Before surgery, it is very appropriate to have questions about anesthesia, recovery, pain.  Even worries of nausea and vomiting, which are now rare, should be addressed. 

After surgery there are questions such as “When can I resume my exercise?”, “When can I start nursing my baby?”, “When will the bruising and swelling be gone so I can return to work?” “When can I start to have sex again?”

These are important questions and deserve answers.  Sometimes patients are reluctant to ask these questions because they “don’t want to bother the doctor”, or they are a little shy about asking questions, particularly the “sex question.”

I encourage patients to ask questions at any time during their care with us;  before surgery, after surgery, day time and evening time.  There is no reason to worry.  There is no reason to fret.  Often concerns and worries are exaggerated and may even keep people from sleeping.

This post was inspired by a conversation I had this morning with one of our patients who lives in another city.  She came to us to have upper and lower eyelid cosmetic surgery or blepharoplasty plus brow lift and had cosmetic nasal plastic surgery or rhinoplasty.  And, incidentally, at the same sitting,  with a plastic surgery colleague who is a superspecialist in body procedures, she had tummy tuck and breast reduction.

She was concerned that her smile had not returned in full force.  Her fear was that somehow this would be permanent.  I quickly reassured her that after her particular type of rhinoplasty, or cosmetic nasal surgery, it wasn’t unusual that the smile would be limited because of some temporary swelling and malfunction of the upper lip muscles.  That function always returns.  I reminded her that I witnessed it in my own daughter whose rhinoplasty I did when she was 16 years old.

Being a doctor is a 24/7 job. Your doctor should be available. If you have a question make the phone call, get the answer and sleep tight.