“I have to fill out this patient information form again?!” It may feel tedious, those times you visit our office and are asked to fill out our medical forms. But the confidential information you share can make all the difference in the safety and success of your procedures.
Like other surgeries, plastic surgery involves anesthesia, surgical tools— and some risk. Our job is to assess each patient based on his or her individual needs, but without the proper information on which to base our analysis, risks can increase seriously. That’s why it’s so important for our patients to be as honest and thorough as possible when filling out our patient information forms. Some key topics to consider when completing these forms include:
Medication and Supplements
You may already know how important it is to tell us all about your prescription medications. But did you know that it also helps us to know about any over-the-counter medications and herbal supplements you might be taking? Many of these products can affect blood pressure, clotting, and healing.
Smoking and Drinking
Smoking and alcohol consumption can also affect the success of surgical procedures. So if you smoke or drink, it’s very important to share this information with your health care provider. The purpose isn’t to judge or lecture you; simply, we need to know because of the varied ways it can affect the procedures we perform.
Psychological Issues
When patients come for a personal consultation with us, we like to understand each patient’s reasons for wishing to have plastic surgery. Is it to help you feel less self-conscious about a certain aspect of your looks? To help you improve the way you feel about yourself over-all? Or are you interested in surgery to please someone else? Or as a method of relieving depression? Our interest is not to talk you into procedures that won’t be the best benefit to you in the long run, but to help you find the right solutions for you. Once again, the information you share with us is confidential, and only to ensure you receive the best possible treatment.
Do you have questions about how health and lifestyle can affect your cosmetic procedures? Or are you interested in finding out is cosmetic surgery is right for you? Contact us today for a personal consultation.
Lifestyle choices can drastically affect how we age. But by changing those bad habits we might not otherwise think much about during our daily routines, we can reduce our risks of premature aging and work towards looking our best. Find out which everyday habits might be causing you to look older than you are, in this Weekly Dose of Beauty.
