We ask a lot of questions on our plastic surgery patient demographic form. The usual questions include your name, address, phone number, emergency contact, medical history, and previous surgeries. However, one question that stands alone and seems odd to most of our patients is, “Have you had a recent crisis in your life?”
This one question allows us to take a glimpse into the lives of our plastic surgery patients. It gives our patients an opening to talk about what is going on in their lives when prompted. The average person would be amazed at the number of potential plastic surgery patients who are not good surgical candidates at a specific time because they are in a midst of a nasty divorce. A new set of breasts or a flatter tummy is not going to solve their marital issues.
We have a responsibility to help our plastic surgery patients feel their best, to help them gain confidence in their bodies, to have their outside “match” their inside. If you are going through a crisis, it takes your body (and mind) longer to heal. Plastic surgery or any surgery can potentially compound the crisis by providing more stress to an already stressful situation.
Does this make some potential plastic surgery patients upset? You bet it does because they can’t understand, in the midst of a crisis, why they are not good candidates for elective plastic surgery. However, when they look back once the crisis has settled, they realize their reasoning and are always grateful that they were not taken advantage of during their state of vulnerability.
Please remember that sometimes there are smaller non-invasive cosmetic procedures in Columbus Ohio that may give you a boost until you are completely ready for Plastic Surgery Ohio. These non-surgical procedures may be a viable option for patients who cannot or should not have an actual plastic surgery procedure for whatever reason.
To patients who are told “not now” during their plastic surgery consultation, please listen to your surgeon. As an office, we understand you have every right to seek additional opinions, but are those additional opinions going to hold the same moral standard as Dr. Chris does for her patients? That, I simply cannot guarantee.
For an honest Plastic Surgery Columbus OH consultation please contact Dr. Christine Sullivan at 614-436-8888.
