For starters, the prospective patient is often confused by just discerning who is, and who is not, qualified to perform cosmetic surgery. There is no American Board of Medical Specialties certification in cosmetic surgery as there is for 24 other recognized specialties. How, then, does one differentiate the “cosmetic surgeon” from the “plastic surgeon,” the “ophthalmic plastic surgeon,” the “dermatologic plastic surgeon” and the “facial plastic surgeon?”
Procedure selection is even more complicated because each surgeon is an artist; no two perform an identical procedure. The terminology is inconsistent, confusing. What is the difference between a “Cheek lift,” a “Mid-face lift,” a “Mini-lift,” the “S-lift” and the brand new “Threadlift?” Regarding wrinkle erasure, is a chemical peel superior to a laser peel? And which chemical peel: Phenol? TCA (tri-chloroacetic acid)? Glycolic acid? Should a nose job be performed “open”, utilizing a visible, external incision or “closed” through hidden, internal incisions?
Good preparation means knowing which questions to ask. And, then, remembering to ask them. One patient related she was so flustered by an intimidating and haughty surgeon, she forgot what she wanted to ask. One of many good reasons for a patient to have the questions in hand, in an organized format.
I have learned from patients in my 28 years in private practice. And after listening to patients bemoan the challenges of knowing which questions to ask at the consultation, I realized I could impart my knowledge and offer a valuable learning resource in a unique and practical format. A consultation workbook that supplies the essential questions you must ask the doctor during your consultation. The closest thing to my sitting beside the patient at the consultation and coaching them on what to ask the doctor.
This step-by-step workbook includes custom Checklists for the 14 Most Common Procedures, a 5-minute Telephone Screening-Script to sort out a practice mis-match before committing to a time-consuming and costly consultation and a 37-Question Quiz to objectively “score” each practice visited. The higher the score, the more likely the patient will have found the practice right for him or her. The book also includes A Cost Tabulation Worksheet, Anatomical Sketches for the doctor to illustrate his game plan and a Directory of Companies that Finance Cosmetic Surgery.
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