Is Surgery for You?

WHO IS A SUITABLE CANDIDATE FOR COSMETIC SURGERY?

Plastic surgery is a major commitment and when considering if it is for you be honest with yourself, look not just into the mirror but inside yourself and determine what your own expectations are for the procedure, what are your goals for surgery and what do you expect surgery to do for you. The fact that you are here, reading our website means that you are already taking the right steps and want to learn about the ins and outs of plastic Surgery. The 4 levels of cosmetic surgery;

Non - Invasive

Minimally - Invasive

Moderately - Invasive

Surgical

Those most suitable for cosmetic surgery are those who have realistic expectation, if you are hoping for more than the procedure is generally capable of achieving then disappointment is very likely.

• Well informed and understand the full nature of the procedure, the likely results, after care, any possible post operative

complications
• Decisive and self-motivated patients who are clear what they want and able to communicate this to the surgeon.
• Physically fit, in good general health, as any health problem can cause complications in surgery or in recovery
• Psychologically and mentally stable.
• Who have a physical defect or cosmetic flaw that diminished their self esteem over time and can be readily amenable to

treatment. After surgery these patients feel good about the result and maintain a positive image about themselves
• Who are having the cosmetic surgery to feel more confident and boost their own self-esteem and not be doing it to please

someone else. Those who are hoping to influence a change in someone rather than themselves may be disappointed and

may lead to multiple procedures for the wrong reason.
• Who have a healthy outlook on life and maintain a healthy lifestyle
• Who are close to their ideal weight
• Who have the time for recovery and to follow the after care programme .
• Who have a supportive home and work environment.

Not every person who attends a consultation with the aim of undergoing cosmetic surgery will be a suitable candidate for that surgery. We emphasise the importance of the preoperative consultation with your surgeon (discussed at length at the hospital). This is a mutual process. While you are, of course, the paying customer and thus need to be entirely happy with the surgeon and his skills, it is also down to the surgeon to assess your suitability and decide whether to accept you for treatment or not.

Any significant history of current problems with medical fitness will immediately alert the surgeon to take appropriate action and make an informed decision regarding proceeding with surgery. You should report any recently encountered symptoms, eg excessive thirst, frequency of passing urine, unexplained weight loss, as those may signify the onset of an illness that has previously been undiagnosed, such as diabetes.

Your surgeon will discuss your personal situation at length with you. If you find that you do not fit into any or all of the categories above, it doesn’t mean that you are not suitable but pre-operative considerations should be considered and the surgeon may make recommendations before surgery is performed and will discuss these at length with you, the patient, in order to be sure you are or can be suitable for surgery.

Click For 2007 Cosmetic Procedure Statistic of American Society of Plastic Surgeons

WHO IS NOT A SUITABLE CANDIDATE FOR COSMETIC SURGERY? >>>More

Not everyone is an appropriate candidate for surgery despite physical indications being ideal for any given procedure. The surgeon may decline to operate on an individual or may recommend psychological counselling to ensure that the patient’s desire for a change in appearance is not part of an emotional problem that no amount of surgery can fix.
It is the surgeon’s right to refuse treatment or refer for a second opinion anyone he does not see as a suitable candidate for surgery - this is a decision that the doctor will make for the physical and mental well-being of the patient. (On the rare occasion that this happens then costs will be discussed with BDT and the surgeon)

• Anyone who is not realistic and expects unachievable results, such as those who insist on having a celebrity’s nose,

with the hope that they may acquire a celebrity lifestyle; a 50 year old who wants her youth of many decades ago,

patients who want to be restored to their original “perfection” following a severe accident or a serious illness. Those

patients may well be disappointed with the results of not just one but of many surgeries.
• An uninformed patient who does not know what to expect before, during and after surgery.
• An indecisive and vague patient who doesn’t know what they want as they may not be able to communicate with the

surgeon what they want
• Anyone who needs a number of consultations with many surgeons seeking the answers they want to hear. These

patients are hoping for a cure to a problem that is primarily or not at all physical. We fully encourage all patients to come

back for a second consultation if they have any further queries. Indeed BDT insists that patients should be encouraged to

do this routinely in order to ensure that they have been properly counselled and are fully aware of the procedure prior to

making an informed consent to proceed.

If you find yourself asking for your third, fourth or fifth consultation, this is a strong indicator that you are not yourself sure about having surgery, and you should not proceed further. If you have already shopped around several other surgeons, and cannot find any that you are happy with, this could well mean that your expectations are unrealistically high.
• Anyone with underlying emotional issues, are depressed, or those in crisis, such as those who are going through

divorce, the death of a spouse, or the loss of a job. These patients may be seeking to achieve goals that cannot be

obtained through an appearance change - goals that relate to overcoming crisis through an unrelated change in

appearance is not the solution. Rather, a patient must first work through the crisis. A set of circumstances may not

necessarily preclude you from being suitable for cosmetic surgery, after all, getting a nose job you`ve always dreamed

of might be a way of boosting your confidence again and making a fresh start. However, you should be extremely wary

about seeking surgery when you are in an emotionally vulnerable state. This could lead you to have unrealistic

expectations. The results of your cosmetic surgery are not going to prevent any relationship break-ups in the future.
• Anyone who imagines the tiniest blemish to be an overwhelming obstacle, or view a feature negatively when others can’t

see it, or those who may be obsessed with a very minor defect and may believe that once their defect is fixed, life will be

perfect. Born perfectionists may be suitable candidates for surgery, as long as they are realistic enough to understand

that surgical results may not precisely match their goals. The most successful surgery usually occurs when both the

surgeon and patient have similar perceptions of the `deformity` to be corrected and of course, everyone is more self-

conscious about an apparent imperfection than third parties will be. If however, you have got to a state where the tiniest

blemish has be come an overwhelming obstacle, or where you perceive a feature negatively that other observers can`t

even see, this is a strong indicator that you will still not actually be happy with the result of your surgery either.
• Anyone wanting surgery because they are being motivated or pressurised by someone else rather than themselves. This

scenario will invariably lead to problems for you. It is extremely important that you are honest with yourself and your

surgeon about this matter. Pressure from a partner or spouse can lead to you having multiple procedures. You maybe

exposing yourself to further criticism if this partner is not pleased with the results of your surgery. If you are agreeing to

have this surgery in an attempt to save a relationship eventually breaks down, you will probably discover that you are

dissatisfied with the surgery and will not think it has been worthwhile.
• Anyone who has a history of mental or psychological illness or exhibits delusional paranoid behaviour. Surgery may be

appropriate in these cases if it is determined that the patient’s goals for surgery are not related to the psychosis. Again, a

“yes” answer to his questions may not automatically exclude you from having cosmetic surgery. After all, many people

will suffer a about of mild to moderate depression at some point in their lives, perhaps after a bereavement or divorce However, we strongly recommend that such times are not ideal moments to undergo cosmetic surgery. You will be emotionally vulnerable, and may be hoping that surgery will pull you out of your depression. A depressed mental state will predispose you to reacting negatively to the results of your surgery. In our opinion, patients with any personality disorder or long psychiatric history (particularly if severe enough to warrant in-patient care should never be operated on without the prior authorisation and full cooperation of their psychiatrist or GP. Failure to observe this rule will inevitably lead to serious problems.)
• Anyone who has been refused surgery before for whatever reason has probably been refused for a good reason.
• Anyone who cannot afford surgery – the cost will add too much financial stress to your life and post operative mental

conditions may well not be beneficial for recovery.
• Anyone who doesn’t have a support network to help during recovery
• Anyone who doesn’t have the time in their schedule for a proper recovery time
• Anyone who smokes or drinks heavily. Smokers and drinkers who do choose to have surgery must quit for at least 2

weeks prior to surgery and be smoke free until at least 2 weeks after surgery for proper healing and recovery, and prevent

a higher rate of infection, skin separation, skin death and anaesthetic complications.
• Anyone who is seriously overweight/obese
• Anyone with heart conditions, diabetes, hypertension, lung disease, heart disease, high cholesterol, arthritis or is

malnourished

If an unsuitable patient is treated this will invariably end in disappointment for both the patient and her surgeon. Certain traits and characteristics may increase the risk of your dissatisfaction with surgery. <<<Hide