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Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery |
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Evaluation for Facial Plastic Surgery
The evaluation is the most important consideration in facial plastic surgery. Every face is different and every patient has different needs. The proper evaluation allows your doctor to learn something about you, the opportunity to learn what you would like changed and how you would like to appear at the end of surgery. Rarely do we ever do the same operation twice. People are so different and their needs are so different that every surgery must be "tailor-fit" for each patient and his or her needs. The same will be true for you. You may think that you're looking a little older, and that what you need is a facelift. But, in fact, it may be that your appearance will not benefit from a facelift; it may be that some of your problems, such as baggy eyes, forehead wrinkles or fat under the chin, would not be corrected by a facelift. The preoperative evaluation is the time for you to communicate with your physician, to tell him what you want, and find out what can be done to help you. It is also your opportunity to meet your doctor and develop a sense that this is someone that you can trust. The preoperative evaluation is a time for you to ask questions and learn about all the important aspects of your surgery. At the end of this evaluation, you are for the first time in a position to answer the following questions:
- Do I want to have this surgery?
- Do I like this physician, and do I want this physician to do that surgery?
- Do I understand and accept the risks and the benefits that this procedure offers?
Terence Davidson, M.D., F.A.C.S.
UCSD Otolaryngology Division
200 West Arbor Drive
San Diego, CA 92103-8895
(619) 543-6631 |