How to prepare for cosmetic surgery - 10 important questions

Your first contact person should always be your family doctor. (S)he knows you best from a medical point of view and can make the first assessment whether your health allows a surgical intervention or not.

Regardless of whether you choose to have the intervention in Germany or abroad, you should check all the points on our list with great care. Otherwise, you would be playing games with your health and, in some cases, with your life.


Checklist of things to discuss with the surgeon



  • Have him/her show you results of their work. Preferably, speak with some of the previous patients yourself. Don't be fooled by computer animations. The software shows what the programmer wants it to show, not what the surgeon is actually capable of doing.
     
  • Is your German surgeon a "Specialist in Plastic Surgery", or does (s)he possess the advanced training title "Plastic Operations"? Similar specialisation appellations exist in other countries as well.
     
  • Is the doctor willing to answer all your questions patiently and thoroughly, even those regarding his/her qualifications and specialisation? Because even a Plastic Surgeon whose activity consists up to 90% of breast surgery might not be the best choice for a highly complex rhinoplasty. Be quite direct and ask about failures. Doctors are human beings too, they're not some sort of "Demigods in white".
     
  • The question 'Clinic or practice" is applicable only for small, easy interventions. But even then, emergency monitoring for at least 24 hours after the intervention has to be provided for.
     
  • As practical experience shows, unexpected complications can occur even during cosmetic surgery. Is the clinic well-equipped for these cases and does it have an Intensive Care Unit?
     
  • What intervention methods are going to be used? Is there enough practical experience regarding these techniques? Is this procedure well-known and endorsed by other specialists as well? You should keep this in mind especially when something is presented as "new" or "revolutionary".
     
  • Is the planned intervention a routine intervention? Does the doctor have enough experience with it? Ask them: "How often have you used this particular intervention method before?" A curt or evasive answer should be reason enough to have doubts.
     
  • A decisive point is the doctor's clarification liability. You should be wary when the doctor does not show an interest in your motivation, your possible medical history and your general life situation.
     
  • The same is true when (s)he presents the intervention as completely without problems and risks. Because some patients have already died on the - oh, so harmless - aftereffects of cosmetic surgery.
     
  • Make sure you allow yourself a long-enough time for consideration between the preliminary talk and the actual intervention. The attempt: "We are completely booked but just for you we have found one last appointment slot", should make you think twice. Because either there aren't so many interested patients as they claim, or another patient has changed his mind after more careful consideration.
     
  • It is by no means shady for the doctor to charge a fee for your preliminary talk, but it is also not the rule. The patient can expect a proper consultation effort in both cases.
     
  • You pay for the intervention at the end, based on the results and the services provided. A surgeon who requests that he be paid in advance has no confidence in his own abilities. This should prompt you to be cautious. You should definitely decline making a payment in cash, without invoice or receipt.
     
Last update questions on 22.09.2021 14:38.

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