What happens during the surgery?
Have each step described first
Your operation is for your surgeon to plan with you. Before you agree to anything, have the steps below described to you one by one.
What "quick, comfortable" leaves out
The claim I quote is "a quick, comfortable procedure." It tells you how the practice wants it to feel and nothing about what is done. Quick compared to what? Comfortable because of what?
A usable description of surgery names the steps in order. I would ask the practice to walk through these:
- What kind of anesthesia is planned, and who provides it?
- Where are the incisions placed?
- Which layers of tissue are worked on, and which are left alone?
- How is the incision closed, and when are any stitches or dressings removed?
- Where does the operation take place and who is in the room?
For independent descriptions to compare against, see the UPMC facelift page, Cleveland Clinic's facelift overview and the NHS page on facelift. If the answer to a step in the consultation differs from those pages, ask why. There may be a good reason, and it is yours to hear.
Because a surgery plan also has a price attached, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons cost page is worth reading before you look at any quote, so you know what a quote should itemize.
Five steps to ask about in order
- Write down the practice's description of the surgery in its own words.
- Ask the five questions above in order.
- Ask for the answers in writing, including who is on the surgical team.
When a description stays vague
None of this is medical advice, and it was not written by a surgeon. If a description of surgery stays vague after follow-up questions, consider asking a second practice.