The popularity of plastic surgery in Sacramento, Roseville and Folsom continues to increase as more and more people are realizing their goals and looking their best. Doctors in the greater Sacramento Region including Roseville, El Dorado Hills and Elk Grove areas are trying to meet the increase in demand. The concern Board Certified Plastic Surgeons have is that any licensed physician can call himself or herself a “cosmetic” or even plastic surgeon despite not being trained as such, so the importance of finding a properly skilled and certified provider is important. Dr. Perry has prepared this checklist to help guide you through your plastic surgery procedure- from choosing a plastic surgeon to managing your recovery.
1. Researching your procedure
From your skin treatments to surgery, Dr. Perry provides a wide array of procedures. Research will help you narrow down the nest options for meeting your goals.
___ Visiting www.SacramentoPlastics.com will help give full descriptions of plastic surgery procedures and the results you can expect from each.
___ Consider other online resources such as www.plasticsurgery.org and the Partnership for Patient Safety at www.p4ps.org. If you are interested in breast implants, also consider www.breastimplantsafety.org .
2. Choosing Your Plastic Surgeon
There are many ways to find a surgeon, including seeking recommendations for your primary care physician, friends, and family. But when you’re ready to make a choice, be sure your plastic surgeon meets the highest standards of education, experience, and ethics.
___ Ask friends, family, and doctors for referrals.
___Compile a list of plastic surgeons (Dr. Perry recommends choosing three to five candidates).
___ Make sure each candidate has at lease six years of surgical training and experience, with a minimum of three years specifically in plastic surgery.
___ Make sure each candidate is certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
___ If you are considering a surgical procedure, make sure your surgeon has operating privileges at an accredited medical facility.
___ Ask your candidates about their most recent continuing medical education.
___ Look for the ASPS Member Surgeon
3. Consulting with your Plastic Surgeon
Well before your procedure, you’ll meet with Dr. Charles Perry for a consultation to discuss your goals and determine the best plan to achieve your desire results. The consultation is your opportunity to ask Dr. Perry tough questions. You should feel confident asking about your doctor’s credentials, experience, outcomes and safety record in the type of procedure that interested you. It is your body, your and safety and your decision.
During your consultation, you should accomplish the following:
___ Confirm that you are a good candidate for your chosen procedure.
___ Identify any alternative procedures for achieving your desired results and understand the pros and cons of each.
___ Review before and after photos that illustrate the procedure and results that you can reasonably expect.
___ Determine what will be expected of you to achieve the best results.
___ Discuss the risks associated with your procedure and how your doctor handles them.
___ Tell your Dr. Perry about medical conditions, allergies, and previous medical treatment. On the day of the consultation, it’s helpful to bring a list of your medical conditions and any medications, vitamins, or herbal supplements you are taking.
___ Find out who will perform your procedure and where- if a member of the doctor’s staff with perform the procedure, which sometimes occurs with non- or minimally-invasive procedures, ask for qualifications.
___Determine the length of the recovery period and the kind of recover help you will need. Plan for the appropriate level of support you will need from family and friends- such as a ride home from the hospital, help with changing dressing, or assistance in bathing-based on the type of procedure you are having.
___ Share old pictures of yourself (from a time when you were most pleased with appearance) with your surgeon to show how your appearance has changed.
___ Discuss the cost of the procedure and any financing options.
___ Understand your options if you are dissatisfied with your results.
4. Planning for Your Surgery
Safe and successful plastic surgery depends not only on Dr. Perry; it’s your responsibility too. These steps will help make sure you’re ready for plastic surgery- both before and after your procure:
Before:
___ Be sure you are physically healthy, eating right, and not smoking.
___ Establish realistic expectations for the results of your procedure.
___ Read, understand and sign informed consent documents for your procedure.
___ Understand the procedure’s after-effects and recovery time.
___ Have your Dr. Perry thoroughly address all of your questions about your recovery.
After:
___ Each procedure requires a specific post-operative protocol. Follow Dr. Perry’s orders for a safe recovery.
We look forward to meeting with you and answering your questions in person.
