Introduction
Considering to have cosmetic surgery should not be taken lightly. The surgery can change your appearance such that it gives you more confidence in yourself and around others, however it can be expensive and although infrequent, there can be occasions where the effect is not as desired and this can result in greater loss of confidence as the original perception was to increase it. Therefore you should never feel pressurised into having surgery of be obliged to have to carried out.
Non-surgical treatments have dramatically increased in popularity over the last couple of years with treatments such as Botox® (including Vistabell®) and dermal fillers such as Restylane® leading the way. Some of these treatments like Botox® begin to wear off after a number of months while others such as Sculptra® are capable of lasting nearly a year. However, just because you are not in an operating theatre does not mean that they are totally risk free. As they involve the insertion of a needle into the underlying areas of the skin they are considered invasive and hence do carry certain risks which you should enquire about during your initial consultation.
Below we have provided information on what you should consider before having surgery carried out on you.
Expectations | Providers | Being Treated | Questions To Ask | Cosmetic Surgery Abroad
Expectations
First things first, you must not expect perfection from your surgery or treatment as this can actually make things worse. You need to think about how certain aspects of the surgery or a non-surgical treatment may affect you;
- Will it change your life as well as your appearance, how do you think it will become better?
- Is the surgery or treatment to please you or another person?
- Will the surgery or treatment achieve all aspects you expect in the changes to your appearance and self-belief that you are hoping for?
If you feel that you are unable to answer these aspects and any others that you may have or you feel you need to have surgery simply to fit in socially or simply to keep a relationship together then cosmetic surgery may not be for you. If this is the outcome then you may want to discuss with your GP or another professional about possibly seeing a counselor or psychiatrist. They may be able to help you in greater ways than the surgery. [Return to Top]
Providers
All companies who provide cosmetic surgery in the UK MUST be registered with the Healthcare Commission (their websites may carry the Healthcare Commission logo with their unique registration number). You have every right to request this information when you arrive at the clinic or hospital and you must only proceed if they are registered. As stated in the Your Procedure section, certain companies employ a patient care coordinator who are normally not medically qualified individuals, but are their as a point of contact throughout your treatment. The Department of Health insists that patients should only ever speak to a medically qualified individual about all aspects of your surgery, but this policy is not a requirement. After this initial consultation and you wish to proceed further, you will be offered an appointment with a fully qualified surgeon. More information about the procedure can be found here.
If after the surgeons consultation you make a decision to have surgery you will have to pay for it beforehand. Most companies consider this a standard policy, although some do offer a financial payment packages to help you pay for your treatment. Each provider will have different prices for their procedures and treatments, this however can change depending on your consult with the surgeon. For example a Breast Augmentation will have a set price which includes the implants. These implants will be purchased at a special agreed price with the supplier, however should the surgeon choose to use implants from a different supplier you may be required to pay extra to cover the cost of the increased price for the implants and there may be a longer wait while the implants are ordered in especially for you. [Return to Top]
Being Treated
For A Surgical Procedure
Once you have had your consultation with a fully qualified surgeon and booked an operation date, you will be asked to arrive at the hospital by a certain time so that you be admitted to the ward in time for your surgery to start. You may be visited in the ward prior to surgery by the surgeon where you may have to sign a patient consent form. This form is in essence a legal document that states you will allow the surgeon to carry out the outlined procedure on you.
Once in theatre you will be anaesthetised by a qualified anaesthetist (see Governing Bodies for more information) and the surgeon will start the procedure. The time you spend under anaesthesia should be the same as stated in the consultation with the surgeon. Once the procedure has been carried out the anaesthetist will bring you round where you will then be taken to a recovery ward where you will spend a certain amount of time before being returned to the ward where you will remain until you are discharged. This length of time depends entirely on the surgery you have had done and ranges from a daycase to in excess of three nights. The surgeon will make detailed notes within your patient file about the operation you have just had including any complications that may have occured during the operation itself.
For A Non-Surgical Treatment
If you are having a non-surgical treatment then there will be no anaesthesia or pre-op screen. You treatment will be carried out by either a registered Doctor or a suitably qualified and competent person (usually a nurse) who will inject you with the product that you agreed on during your consultation.
As with having a surgical procedure the doctor or nurse will make detailed notes (including the quantity of product injected into each area of the face) and any complications that may have occurred. [Return to Top]
Questions To Ask
We have created two questionnaires (surgical and non-surgical) for you to download that contain key questions that you can ask during you consultation. Please click here to download the surgical questionnaire and click here for the non-surgical questionnaire. [Return to Top]
Cosmetic Surgery Abroad
If you are considering have cosmetic surgery abroad there are a number of factors you must consider along with the main advantage of the reduction in cost;
- Will you still get the same level of expertise that you get in the UK even though it costs less?
- Who are the regulatory bodies in the countries that are providing the surgery?
- How well qualified are the doctors and medical staff at the hospital?
- What are the procedures should a complication arise?
- What is their aftercare programme?
The most important of the five listed here is 'What are the procedures should a complication arise'. If you have had surgery abroad will you be expected to fly back out to the country to have the revision surgery carried out or do they have an aftercare programme that allows you to have the revision surgery in the UK. [Return to Top]
