The decision to undergo cosmetic surgery requires your
careful consideration. You should consider what can
reasonably be undertaken surgically, your motivation,
the risks involved, and costs. Since it is important for
the patient to learn about the procedure, and for Dr.
Lucas to identify the most appropriate procedure(s) a
consultation is required.
We
think it is important to understand the limitations as
well as the potential benefits of plastic surgery. Most
patients have unrealistic expectations concerning the
outcome of a plastic surgery procedure. The outcome
rarely lives up to the patient’s hopes and expectations.
All operations have a downside potential.
As
with many choices throughout life, the decision on
having plastic surgery should be made after weighing
whether the benefits of the surgery outweigh the risks
and the potential downside. The fact that an
advertisement containing “before” and “after”
photographs shows a dramatic improvement does not mean
that every one will have an improved outcome, nor does
it mean that all plastic surgeons will be able to
achieve that outcome. The reason for this is that
people’s bodies are different, and the same surgery can
achieve a very different result on one person that it
does on another.
It is
also important to know that within the field of plastic
surgery the skills required for various kinds of
operations differ widely. Thus, the plastic surgeon who
may be able to achieve a successful result for one kind
of problem may not be able to so for another.
