November 19, 2007
What is Cosmetic Surgery?
Cosmetic surgery involves incisions or significant alteration of the skin or underlying tissues and can involve many areas of the face and body. Common facial cosmetic procedures include facelift, brow lift, eyelid surgery, ear surgery, and rhinoplasty (nose) surgery. Less invasive cosmetic facial surgeries include facial liposuction, facial implants, micro fat grafting, and some laser resurfacing procedures. Common cosmetic surgical procedures done on the body include liposuction, abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), breast lift, breast enhancement (augmentation). There are many other procedures targeted to nearly every part of the body.
All surgery comes with possible risks of complications -- from anaesthesia, infection, and scarring, for example. Such complications can be minor or major and, in rare circumstances, even death can occur. Cosmetic surgery is no exception and the decision to consent to surgery is always an important one.
What kinds of doctors perform cosmetic surgery?
Presently, in Ontario, any medical doctor may perform surgical procedures, including cosmetic surgery. When you discuss cosmetic procedures with your doctor, make sure that he or she has the right qualifications and experience. Surgical procedures should only be done by doctors who have the appropriate training and experience.
Checking qualifications
Some doctors provide details of their qualifications by placing letters after their name, e.g., Dr. Jacob Smith, MD, FRCSC. Some display certificates in their clinics. But it can often be difficult to work out what the letters, certificates and qualifications mean.
Although the term ‘cosmetic surgery’ is widely used, there is no such specialty designation by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in cosmetic surgery and it is performed by doctors with different qualifications. “Cosmetic surgeon,” “cosmetic plastic surgeon” and “facial plastic surgeon” are general terms that are used by many physicians, including physicians who may not have had any formal training in surgery.
|
Family doctors
Some family doctors provide services either in addition to general family medicine or exclusively in a particular area, including cosmetic surgery or non-surgical cosmetic procedures. Family doctors are doctors who have undertaken medical training and take a further period of training (residency) of at least two years. Some may call themselves cosmetic surgeons even though they have no formal surgical training. Make sure you understand what their exact special training is for the surgery or procedure you are considering.
Specialist qualifications
A specialist is a doctor who has taken extensive additional training for a number of years in a particular field of medicine. Specialists are certified by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Doctors who are certified in a surgical field are entitled to refer to themselves as a FRCSC (Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada). There is only one specialty in Canada that provides formal training and certification in cosmetic surgery for the face and body and that is the specialty of plastic surgery. Otolaryngologists (ear nose and throat surgeons) receive formal training in cosmetic surgery of the head and neck.
It is critical that you check your doctor’s qualifications and are confident that he or she has the appropriate skills and training to do the surgery you are considering. Whether or not you are seeing a specialist, your doctor should be prepared to answer any questions you have about his or her qualifications.
Where is cosmetic surgery performed?
In addition to finding out about the doctor performing the surgery, you need to know about the facility where the surgery will take place.
Cosmetic surgery is usually done in one of two types of facilities, either a hospital or a private clinic. A private clinic is one that is not affiliated with a hospital. While hospitals are required by law to meet certain standards and safety protocols, there are no laws like this that apply to private clinics.
Private clinics in Canada may belong to the Canadian Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgical Facilities (CAAASF). The CAAASF requires private clinics to meet standards set for hospitals with regard to safety, personnel and sterilization.
Wherever you are having a procedure performed, appropriate safeguards should be in place to ensure your safety. If you are having surgery outside of a hospital, the clinic should have:
- Excellent infection control protocols;
- All necessary equipment;
- Clear procedures and plans to handle emergencies; and
- Well qualified staff.
It’s critical to ask questions about what happens if there are sudden, unexpected problems and how quickly help is available.
Other things to consider….
The decision to have any operation is significant. Think about it carefully, gather all the information you can and ensure that your expectations are realistic. Here are some things you can do before you make a decision:
-
Talk to your family doctor. This is a good place to start before making any decisions about cosmetic surgery. With your family physician you can discuss your reasons for wanting cosmetic surgery; your specific health issues which may be important when considering surgery; and general information about cosmetic procedures. For example, pregnancy, some medical conditions, and certain medications make cosmetic surgery unadvisable. Any medical conditions should also be discussed with your cosmetic surgery provider. Your family physician may also be familiar with the experience and training of surgeons who provide cosmetic procedures in your area.
-
Ask yourself why you want this procedure. Will it change your appearance the way you hoped? Are you doing it for yourself or to please someone else? Also consider if there alternatives to surgery that will give you the some of the benefits, including non-surgical cosmetic procedures with fewer risks. It’s important for you to consider these questions, in addition to talking to your doctor about whether your expectations are realistic.
-
Do your research. Hospitals and clinics offering the procedure you are considering can provide information that may help in your decision-making. Although many physicians have websites that provide details about their treatments, often with “before and after” photographs, websites are in themselves a form of advertising and photographs of patients before and after procedures may be best-case scenarios. Look for other objective information from multiple sources – friends, family, the internet, etc. When you see the physician, ask to see pictures of other patients that have had the procedures you are considering. If available, consider talking to past patients who have had the same procedure.
-
Contact the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. To learn about your doctor and his or her qualifications, you can call us at (416) 967-2600 ext. 626 or 1- 800-268-7096 ext.626 or visit the Doctor Search section of our website.
-
Book a consultation with the surgery provider. This is your opportunity to get the information you need to make a decision. You should not feel pressured to proceed just because you have had a consultation. This consultation should include a detailed medical history, a discussion about your aesthetic concerns, and a thorough explanation of all the options available to you to address your concerns. In addition, you should get a clear explanation of all the associated risks, benefits and complications associated with each option. It is very common for pre-operative pictures to be taken at the time of the initial consultation and the costs associated with each option are usually discussed at the time of the initial visit.
Take a list of questions with you. Be honest about your expectations. Ask about the doctor’s qualifications including how many procedures like this he or she has done, what kind of training or certification he or she has, complication rates and how complications are handled. A list of questions you can print and take with you is available at the end of this fact sheet.
-
Consider getting a second opinion. Different doctors have different approaches. Find one that suits you best.
When you are asked to sign an agreement consenting to the procedure, make sure you understand it and are confident with what you’re signing. Beware of any agreement that encourages you to make a quick decision. The decision to undergo cosmetic surgery is a significant one; take time to understand all the information given to you at the time of the consultation. Carefully read all of the information contained in the informed consent document.
Under no circumstances should you feel pressured to move ahead quickly into surgery. Take as much time as you need to make up your mind—and avoid any provider who makes you feel rushed.
If you have concerns
If the results of your cosmetic surgery are not what you expected, or you have other concerns, contact your treating cosmetic doctor. Together, you may be able to work out a solution.
If you do not feel that your concerns have been addressed adequately, and you have a concern about your doctor, please contact the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario:
-
Telephone:
(416) 967-2600 or 1-800-268-7096 ext. 306 -
Mail:
CPSO
80 College Street,
Toronto, Ontario
M5G 2E2
Cosmetic Surgery checklist
These questions will help you ask your doctor what you need to know before proceeding with Cosmetic Surgery. Print this Cosmetic Surgery checklist and take it with you to your appointment.
Non-Surgical Cosmetic Procedures checklist
These questions will help you ask your doctor what you need to know before proceeding with Non-Surgical Cosmetic procedures. Print this Non-Surgical Cosmetic Procedures checklist and take it with you to your appointment.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment