Considering Plastic Operation

Cosmetic plastic surgery is often performed outside the hospital in an office-based surgical facility. Wherever the surgery is to be performed, selected surgeons should have hospital privileges to perform the specific procedure in an acute care hospital.

Published data show that accredited office-based facilities have a safety record comparable to that of hospital ambulatory surgery settings. Ambulatory or office-based facilities should be accredited by a nationally or state-recognized accrediting agency, or be state licensed or Medicare certified.

The medical history should include hormones (oral contraceptives and estrogen replacement) and even aspirin, vitamins, and herbal medications since these substances can interfere with blood clotting or interact with medications used during surgery and could increase surgical risk. Postoperative care should be thoroughly discussed with the surgeon, as surgery is not truly over until the patient is ambulatory and has returned to a relatively normal routine.

Most cosmetic surgery is extremely safe in the hands of surgeons certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. However, even with the highest level of care, every surgery carries risks as well as benefits, and these should be discussed thoroughly before surgery is undertaken. For example, multiple procedures performed at the same time may increase the risks of surgery. There are risks associated with anesthesia, analgesics and antibiotics. Smokers are at greater risk of complications including delayed wound healing, skin loss, scarring, and poor surgical outcome Other risks include deep vein thrombosis.