Posts Tagged ‘helpful hints’

Despite Highly Publicized Deaths, Plastic Surgery Complications Rare

Tuesday, December 14th, 2010

While we all take safety precautions in performing various plastic surgery procedures at our clinic, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) reminds people that any surgical procedure carries inherent risk.

They recommend 6 important recommendations when considering plastic surgery, including:

1. Research benefits and risks of any procedure as much as you can before going forward. Check out our resources on plastic surgery or visit the ASPS website for more.

2. Have realistic expectations and fully discuss risks and recovery time with your surgeon beforehand.

3. Talk to other patients who have undergone the procedure to learn of their experiences.

4. Discuss your full medical history with your surgeon before undergoing any procedure.

5. Only choose surgeons accredited by the ASPS. They have a certain level of experience, professionalism and have all proper certifications.

6. If your surgery is taking place at an outpatient center, verify the center’s accreditation

“The death of a patient is always tragic and devastating for all involved, particularly the patient’s family and the medical team,” said Richard D’Amico, MD, ASPS president. “However, we don’t want to unnecessarily frighten the public. While this situation is rare, the decision to have a plastic surgery procedure is serious. No-risk surgery doesn’t exist.”

Plastic surgery procedures are relatively safe, with serious complications only occurring in 1 in 298 or 0.34 percent. Death occurs in 1 in 51,459, or 0.0019 percent of cases according to a 2004 study from the ASPS that evaluated over 400,000 surgeries.

Any death or complication is tragic but these statistics show that despite any of these highly publicized things, death and complications from plastic surgery are very rare.

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Posted in Human Interest, Plastic/Cosmetic Surgery, Reconstructive Surgery | No Comments »

Cosmetic Surgery Financing Options

Tuesday, November 30th, 2010

Especially these days, questions about cosmetic surgery and costs go hand in hand. While many of you long to revolutionize your look and feel, concerns about financial cost generally aren’t far behind.

Fortunately there are options to help women and families obtain much desired aesthetic or reconstructive procedures like breast implants, tummy tucks or liposuction and pay for it in a responsible manner. Reconstructive procedures may even be considered medically necessary and thus, covered by health insurance. It just depends on your particular situation.

Below are a few financing options besides paying cash or putting cosmetic surgery procedures on your credit card. We recognize most don’t have an extra few thousand dollars lying around. Flexible financing options though help ease the financial burden of undergoing a cosmetic surgery procedure.

Payment Plans

Many cosmetic surgeons across Florida offer flexible payment plans to their patients. Rather than having all of the money up front, pay in installments and better manage the cost of undergoing an aesthetic or reconstructive procedure.

Health Insurance

Many plastic surgery procedures are done for medical reasons. If a procedure like a breast reduction or rhinoplasty is needed to alleviate other medical conditions, your health insurance may cover part of the cost. Consult with your insurance company to learn more.

Tax Deductions (rare)

Another option, though rarely used, is a tax deduction. If your procedure has anything to do with your career, you may be able to take a sizeable tax deduction for it. However, this is generally considered the least reliable source of paying for a cosmetic surgery procedure.

These are just a few of the options you can consider for financing a cosmetic surgery procedure. Besides cost, you should also learn as much as you can about the procedure you’re interested in. Take a look at our cosmetic surgery before & after photos section and learn about what you can expect by reviewing our material on individual procedures.

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Posted in Cosmetic Treatment, Plastic/Cosmetic Surgery, Reconstructive Surgery | No Comments »

“Real Housewives” Reality Show Knows What Questions to Ask when Looking for a Plastic Surgeon

Wednesday, June 9th, 2010

When it comes to choosing a qualified plastic surgeon, Bravo’s hit TV series “Real Housewives of New York City” knows the proper questions a prospective patient should ask…we applaud one of the housewives, Ramona Singer, for emphasizing in a recent episode the importance of choosing a board certified plastic surgeon that has appropriate hospital privileges.

In the episode entitled “Stay on Message,” one of the housewives (Sonja Morgan) takes her friend (Ramona Singer) to her plastic surgery consultation to help her ask the right questions to the surgeon about her liposuction procedure.

During the consultation, Ramona asks the surgeon if he had operating privileges at a hospital, what year was he board certified and was he a member of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS).

In a press release, the ASAPS applauds these questions featured in the show and urge anyone interested in plastic surgery to ask these questions when they meet with a prospective surgeon.

Here are just a few of the items ASAPS suggest you ask a prospective plastic surgeon about. Doing so will ensure you are working with an experienced surgeon who will be able to complete your procedure safely.

Check Board-Certification

Independently verify whether the surgeon is certified with the American Board of Plastic Surgery. This will provide a good indication of his or her training in a particular medical or surgical specialty.

Check ASAPS Membership

Being a member of the ASAPS indicates the surgeon is well qualified and has significant experience in the fields of plastic and cosmetic surgery…ASAPS membership is by invitation only.

Check Facility Accreditation

Cosmetic surgery procedures can be safely performed in a hospital, surgicenter or an office-based surgical facility. Most office based facilities are not accredited but do have safety records comparable to a hospital. Another advantage of ASAPS members…they only perform procedures in an accredited hospital, state licensed or Medicare certified facility.

Check Reliable Sources

When investigating a surgeon, ask around your community. Your primary care doctor is a good place to start…so is family and friends who may know someone who has dealt with that surgeon. Verify their board certification on your own and research procedures before going in for a consultation.

Verifying this information is critical to ensuring you are not caught using a surgeon that’s not qualified in plastic surgery and/or has substandard facilities. Plastic surgeries gone wrong can be both financially and mentally devastating.

Like Ramona, protect yourself and/or a loved one when looking for plastic surgery services.

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Posted in Plastic/Cosmetic Surgery | No Comments »