Thanks to the popular television series Botched (starring esteemed plastic surgeons that we know personally), more people are realizing the value of a well-planned surgery. Unfortunately, we do still see stories in the news about plastic surgery gone wrong. Patients in these stories may have received poor surgical care or poor post-operative care that have led to ill-effects. In the best cases, the downside of bad plastic surgery is merely cosmetic dissatisfaction. In the worst, patients’ lives have been in danger. Here, we discuss how bad plastic surgery happens and how you can avoid botched plastic surgery as you make decisions about your ideal treatment.
In many of the instances we have seen where patients have been unhappy with the results of plastic surgery, choices were made to save money. Here’s an alternative way to think about the treatment being considered. It is an investment into cosmetic changes that could last many years. If not conducted correctly the first time, a patient may spend thousands more dollars, and much more time, in revisions. In some cases, a poorly performed surgery is so bad that the mistakes cannot be corrected to the fullest extent of cosmetic appeal.
Things to Keep in Mind
- Plastic surgery is not something to “save money” on. A surgeon should be selected based on board-certification in plastic surgery as well as experience.
- It is not advisable to choose a plastic surgeon without a face-to-face, thorough consultation. This allows for all of your questions to be asked.
Suggested questions for your plastic surgeon include:
- What is your training background?
- How many times have you performed this procedure?
- What are the chances that something could go wrong? What are the risks?
- Is there any reason why I may not be a good candidate for this procedure?
- Are there other options for treatment that may give me the results I want? Are there any nonsurgical options? What are the risks of those options?
- Who administers the anesthesia during surgery? Ideally, the surgeon has a board-certified anesthesiologist on staff for this duty.
- What suggestions do you have to improve the safety and outcome of this procedure? An example is that your surgeon will advise you to stop smoking.
Our Perspective
We handle botched cases with the utmost care. Dr. Fine and Dr. Dubrow (from Botched) were classmates at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Schierle considered a position with Dr. Nassif (from Botched) earlier in his career. We understand the stress and emotional toll a bad surgery can have, and we are here to help.
Learn more about revision plastic surgery. Schedule a consultation in our Chicago office at 312-266-6240.