The Facelift Consultation
People in Driving Distance:
During the initial consultation, we will discuss all of the issues that concern you regarding the appearance of your face. The first step of the facelift consultation is designed for us to get to know each other. It is not only important for you to be comfortable with me, but also for me to make sure that you are a good surgical candidate. This is a question that I have to answer and it involves many different factors. The first variable that I have to assess is your overall health and how safe it will be for you to undergo a facelift procedure. Full facial rejuvenation surgery is extremely safe provided that you are healthy.
We will review your medical history, including any medications that you are taking, as well as any previous surgeries that you have had. We will discuss in great detail the areas of your face that bother you and the way in which these problems affect you. I recommend that you bring photos of yourself from years past so that I can evaluate the aging pattern that you are following.
There will be a full examination of your face where I will evaluate the upper, middle, and lower third of your face, as well as your skin to make sure there are no undiscovered medical problems and to determine how likely you are to achieve a good result from surgery. Many people will ask me for my opinion and are hoping to do whatever it is that I recommend for them. Other people will know exactly what it is they wish to have corrected and ask me to evaluate that particular area of concern. We will take your photos and put your images up on the computer such that I can make alterations to the images to give you an idea of the type of changes that are possible.
The two most important factors that I have to determine are:
- Can I give you the changes that you want and are you likely to be happy with the surgery when those changes are successfully accomplished?
- After I have made my determinations, I will tell you if I think you are an excellent candidate a good candidate or poor candidate for surgery. I will give you detailed explanations about how I arrived at my conclusions.
At that time, my nurse will discuss the cost of surgery and the available schedule. My nurse will also review with you all of the lab work that will be required preoperatively to make sure that you are medically cleared to have surgery. You may decide to reserve a surgery date at your initial consultation or sometime thereafter. Some people decide to book their surgery before they have left my office, others will call back to book their surgery even a year or two after the initial consultation. You may want to come back in for a second consultation to review what we initially discussed. Some people prefer to come back for a second consultation with their significant other, family member, or friend to help them make a decision.
My job is to make sure that you are fully educated about the potential benefits, as well as risks and limitations of surgery. This process usually takes about 45 minutes to an hour of time. Once we have completed the initial consultation you should have a complete understanding of the expected results and will be able to make an educated decision that is best for you.
Patients From Out of Town:
Many of my patients are from different states and other countries. If you are from a distant location we can accomplish a vast majority of the initial consultation process by email and phone. The goal of the initial process is the same if you are local or from a distant location, and that is to determine if you are a good surgical candidate. You may email photos that I will review, followed by a telephone conversation where we discuss your goals and desires. We will discuss all of the same things that I do with patients who I am seeing in person. The only difference is that I cannot perform a physical exam until I see you in person. Based on the vast number of people I have taken care of over the years in this fashion, I rarely change my recommendations after I have met someone in person, because the photos and communication give me all of the information I need.
After I have determined that you are a good surgical candidate and you have all of the necessary information you need to make a good decision, you will be able to book your surgery over the phone. I will see you the day before surgery and we will have a formal consultation to make sure that the initial recommendations are still appropriate. At this time, I will put your images on the computer and make the alterations to show you what you can likely expect from surgery. We also do this often by email with pictures that patients send prior to being seen in the office.