Your first appointment or consultation is probably one of the most important visits you will make to your surgeon’s office during the process of considering a tummy tuck. This is the time when you will meet the surgeon and receive educated information and guidance on the entire process of the tummy tuck. Expect your appointment to last for at least an hour since you will spend time in an extensive interview with the surgeon, nurses, surgery schedulers, as well as receive a physical assessment of your body. It is advisable that you have a list of specific questions and concerns for the doctor to address. On the last page of this book, there is a general but thorough checklist you can use for your initial appointment. The main purpose of a consultation is for the surgeon to address all your concerns, as well as discuss options and alternatives with you.
Routinely, the surgeon will be the one meeting with you, but make sure you inform the surgeon’s office staff of the time of your appointment that you wish to speak with the surgeon himself rather than any other healthcare representative. This is very important since some surgeons may not conduct initial consultations personally. The procedure that you are considering is risky enough to require that the first person you talk with should be the surgeon who will be operating on you. In some offices, the surgeon personally comes out to the waiting room to welcome you, or if your appointment time is being delayed for some reason, the surgeon may even come to the front desk to let you know that he will be right with you. Think of that personal touch! The most important thing is that as soon as you walk into that office, you should feel welcome and wanted.
Arrive at your surgeon’s office or clinic promptly. This will allow you ample time to speak with the other patients in natural conversations so you can ask them their opinions of the surgeon as well. You do not have to say what you are visiting for, but can ask if they have had any experience with the surgeon. Chances are that since you are in a plastic surgeon’s office, the other patients are also there for plastic surgery. Due to privacy concerns, patients may not easily divulge what processes they are in the office for, and you should not ask more personal questions unless they volunteer this information in the course of the conversation.
When you are in the consultation room, your surgeon will most likely start by asking you to tell him a little bit about yourself and your motivation for wanting a tummy tuck. He will take short notes in your chart as a reminder of his discussion with you. He should be very interested and ask you questions about what your life has been like to lead up to your need for a tummy tuck. He should then tell you a little about himself, give you a brief introduction about the procedure, using some visual aids. He will also show you a portfolio of before-and-after photos of successful surgeries. This is usually the fun part of the consultation, when you realize how much miracle he can work on your tummy.
Seeing other people’s before-and-after pictures will give you a realistic idea of what your tummy will look like afterwards, as well as provide you with the confidence to proceed with a physical examination when required since you can be sure that your tummy is likely not the worst he has seen.
In between your conversation with the surgeon, you should ask about his credentials and certifications as a tummy tuck expert, as well ask other pertinent questions to determine that he is the right
surgeon for you. As mentioned before, prior to this visit, you should have done your homework on his credentials and medical practice history. You will only be asking him to confirm what you know. Also, remember to ask him how many tummy tucks he has performed, and verify that the before-and-after pictures that you have seen were all performed by him, not his colleagues, especially if it is a group practice. You want to make sure that what you see is equivalent to what you will get.
Ask your surgeon about the associated risks and complications of a tummy tuck. Let him elaborate on important topics like anesthesia options, incision types, length of procedure, recovery time, and operating facilities. Be sincere about your concerns, fears and expectations regarding the surgery. Furthermore, take time to answer his questions sincerely as this will help him decide the best type of tummy tuck for you. Provide detailed answers about your past and present medical history. Some pertinent information that you may be asked to provide may seem to encroach on your privacy, but you should not be alarmed and should answer as best as you can since every detail that you do not provide could have a negative outcome to your surgery. Remember that the surgeon has to respect your conversation due to ethics as well as HIPPA (Patient Privacy Act) regulations, so all information gathered from you will be kept confidential. You can also inquire about the costs of the procedure including, but not limited, to his professional, hospital, anesthesiologist, and medication fees. Most likely he will defer the exact details of the financial part of this consultation to his office consultant, or his assistant, someone who will sit with you after the clinical part of your interview to go over the cost of the surgery, as well as to discuss scheduling of the surgery. You can also inquire about your recovery time and work-exempt papers for the duration of your recovery from the surgeon.
After the initial interview, your surgeon will then proceed with the physical examination. During the physical examination, you will be asked to remove your garments and change into an open gown. You may also be given underwear that exposes those parts of your body that the doctor may need to see in order to determine if you need a butt lift, thigh lift, or other surgical processes. Also, the underwear they provide for you will expose as much as your abdomen as possible so that the surgeon can see your entire midsection. Sometimes, the surgeon may not provide you with underwear, so, make sure that you wear a low-waist piece of underwear to the appointment so that he will be able to see your midsection clearly. Also, make sure that your underwear exposes most of your buttocks and thighs so that he can make a better determination of other processes that will enhance the results of your tummy tuck.
Your surgeon will then inspect your abdomen by paying particular attention to fats, protrusions, hernias, skin conditions, elasticity, and adherent scars. You will be asked to assume several positions, including bending over, crunching, sitting up, and relaxing your abdominal muscles. You might find this uncomfortable, but understand that your surgeon is a professional and that this assessment is done per surgery protocol. He may also have you stand against the wall and turn towards him, the wall, or sideways. In most cases, the surgeon or his assistant will take pictures of you at this time. This becomes your before picture. In this era of digital cameras, if you wish, you can ask to see your pictures, and I can guarantee you that those pictures will convince you to get a tummy tuck — especially after seeing the after pictures of other patients. Don’t worry or get alarmed at what you see; instead, use the pictures as a guidance tool to encourage you to make the right decision for your tummy, body, and image.
After the physical examination, you can discuss your decision regarding the surgery. However, keep in mind that you need not decide immediately. If you feel that you are ready and want to proceed, you will proceed to the next step based on the surgeon’s practice. You may be required to sit with a consultant and schedule a date and time that works for you. You may be required to make a down payment to reserve that date. This is usually done by the office as a precaution to make sure that the surgeon does not schedule and make arrangements for you, and then you change your mind at the last minute.
Of course you can change your mind at any time in the process, but the surgeon wants to guarantee that the time put aside for you, is worth something. Remember the surgeon is also running a business that has to be organized, so it is in his best interest to make sure that he schedules patients according to his surgical schedule.
When you make a down payment, most times, it is non-refundable after a certain time, or, if refundable, it may require that some percentage is retained by the surgeon in case of a cancellation. Most times, the surgeon will let you reschedule the date with no penalties. Just be sure to verify your surgeon’s refund and rescheduling policies prior to making a payment. Also make sure that before scheduling a certain day or time, you have taken your family needs and work responsibilities into consideration.
Once you make up your mind about going ahead with the surgery, you may be given an Informed Consent paper to sign. This may also be given to you at the preoperative appointment and may be reiterated on the day of surgery. It all depends on your surgeon’s mode of practice. An Informed Consent is as a legal document that states that you understand the surgery and that you have been informed of the process, benefits, risks, and complications. If you feel that an initial consultation is not enough to make an informed decision regarding the process, then request a second meeting. And if you think that the surgeon you have visited is not the right doctor to operate on you, for whatever reason, even if it sounds silly, then set up another consultation with a different surgeon and ask for a second opinion. You must feel comfortable outright with your surgeon.
As an aside, some offices request that you pay a consultation fee before seeing you, or at the time of consultation. If you decide not to go with this surgeon, ask if they will give you a refund. Or, if you are interested in a second consultation, ask to be seen again. Also, it wouldn’t hurt to ask the office at the time of paying for a consultation, if required, to apply the fee to your surgery if you do decide to go with them. Most surgeons should not have a problem with this since the cost of the surgery is astronomical compared to what you will pay for the consultation. They will probably regard this request as an incentive for you to consider them as your surgeon of choice.
