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1. Will it be painful?
During the procedure you will be comfortable and feel no pain. After surgery, pain
and discomfort are easily controlled with medication and usually subside within
three days.
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2. How soon will I be back to work?
This depends upon the procedure and your job. Most plastic surgery patients are
able to return to work in 7 to 10 days.
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3. Will everyone know?
Good plastic surgery will not leave you looking plastic but enhance your appearance
naturally. The improvement is often attributed to a vacation, new diet, or exercise
regime.
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4. How long will it last?
Rejuvenation procedures can’t stop the clock. The benefits from a face-lift,
forehead lift, facial peels, and eyelid surgeries can last 5 to 15 years. Alteration
procedures that reshape or correct an imbalance, such as reshaping of the nose,
chin augmentation, breast augmentation, breast lift, and breast reductions offer
benefits that may last a lifetime.
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5. How long does surgery take?
Not as long as you may think. Most procedures take only a few hours and are performed
as outpatient surgeries requiring no overnight stay.
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6. What is plastic surgery?
Plastic surgery is a surgical subspecialty that deals with the healing and restoration
of patients with injury, disfigurement, and scarring resulting from trauma, disease,
or a congenital defect. It includes aesthetic or cosmetic surgery to correct or
rejuvenate facial and body features not pleasing to the patient. The term “plastic”
is derived from the Greek word plastikos, which means “molding or giving form,”
and does not refer to the use of plastic materials.
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7. How does a physician become a plastic surgeon?
Training to become a plastic surgeon is difficult. To become Board Certified
by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, a physician must complete a specialized
post-graduate training course of five to seven years. Background training usually
includes a thorough grounding in general surgery; however, a background in ENT or
orthopedics may be acceptable. The final two or three years of training must
be in an approved plastic surgery training program. Prior to official certification
by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, the physician must pass a standardized
set of both written and oral examinations. While numerous physicians use the
terms “Plastic Surgeon or Cosmetic Surgeon,” only those certified by
the American Board of Plastic Surgery are true plastic surgeons.
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8. What questions should I ask
before choosing a plastic surgeon to make sure he or she is qualified to operate
on me?
Pertinent questions that you should ask are :
- Are you certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery?
- Do you have hospital privileges to perform this surgery?
- Where will you perform my surgery?
- How many procedures of this type have you performed?
- What are the risks involved with the procedure?
- What is the expected recovery time?
- How much will the surgery cost?
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9. What is aesthetic or “cosmetic” surgery?
Aesthetic surgery, also known as cosmetic surgery, seeks to improve an individual’s
appearance. These operations most often involve the nose, ears, face, forehead,
eyes, eyelids, breasts, abdomen, hips, and thighs.
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10. Will I have a scar after plastic surgery?
Scarring is inevitable; however, a very fine-lined scar placed in the correct orientation
may be hardly perceptible. The plastic surgeon spends hours mastering techniques
to keep scars in the most desirable locations. Plastic surgeons try to make incisions
in areas that will not show: along natural crease lines, inside the hairline, and
hidden by garments. Scars normally fade over time, but certain areas of the body,
such as the back and chest, produce more severe scarring regardless of the technique
used for closure. The severity of the scarring varies from person to person.
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11. Will the scars be noticeable?
Every effort is made to minimize scars and conceal them in natural lines and creases.
For the majority of procedures, scars fade over time becoming barely noticeable.
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12. Does plastic surgery always involve skin grafting?
Skin grafting is only used when it is the best way of closing a wound or correcting
a defect. A qualified plastic surgeon uses judgment to decide the best way of reconstructing
a defect. A skin graft may appear to be a poor color and textural match compared
to the native skin, but with careful selection of a skin graft donor site, this
problem may be minimized.
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13. What is a pedicle graft or a flap?
A pedicle graft, also called a flap, consists of a segment of skin underlying subcutaneous
tissue and/or muscle. It is shifted from one area to another to either close a wound
or reconstruct a structure. The word pedicle indicates that the blood supply of
the flap is never completely divided. When the blood supply is completely divided
and reattached, this creates a free flap, which requires the use of a microscope.
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14. What should I consider before making my decision to have surgery?
The short answer is… as much information as you can gather to make a well-informed
decision that is right for you. Specific to plastic surgery there are several things
to think about as you to consider whether or not plastic surgery is an option for
you.
Expectations: Very often, plastic surgery can enhance your appearance
and boost your self-confidence, but it won’t necessarily change your looks
to match your ideal or cause others to treat you differently. Take some time and
carefully consider your expectations, understanding that the circumstances and experiences
of every individual will be unique. Once you have done this, be sure to discuss
your surgery in detail with your doctor, who can best help you to understand the
particular procedure you are interested in and what you can reasonably expect from
it.
Risk and Uncertainty : All surgery carries some degree of risk
and uncertainty, including the possibility of infection, bleeding, blood clots,
and adverse reactions to the anesthesia. When performed by a qualified plastic surgeon,
however, complications are naturally more infrequent and usually minor. In any case,
you can reduce your risk by closely following your surgeon’s advice both before
and after surgery.
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15. What is the difference between cosmetic and reconstructive surgery?
Cosmetic surgery is performed to reshape normal structures of the body. The goal
of such a procedure is to improve the patient’s appearance and self-esteem.
Most often it is not covered by health insurance, as it is an elective procedure.
Reconstructive surgery is performed to correct abnormal structures of the body caused
by birth defects, developmental abnormalities, trauma or injury, infections, tumors,
or disease. It is most often done to improve function, but may also be done to approximate
a more normal appearance. Unlike cosmetic surgery, it is typically covered by most
health insurance policies, although coverage levels will, of course, vary.
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16. How can I best prepare for surgery?
As you meet with our staff prior to surgery, we will provide you with specific instructions
on how to prepare for surgery, including guidelines on :
- Eating and drinking
- Smoking
- Taking or avoiding certain vitamins and medications
- Washing the area of your body to be operated on
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Carefully following these instructions will help your surgery go more smoothly.
In addition, we will also be available by telephone to answer any questions or concerns
that might arise. Please do not hesitate to call us.
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17. How safe is plastic surgery?
Although hundreds of thousands of people have plastic surgery every year without
complication, no surgical procedure is completely risk free. Frankly, there is risk
associated with any surgical procedure. However, as a patient you can play an important
role in reducing that risk by following the suggestions below.
- Choose a Board Certified plastic surgeon, one who is accredited by the American
Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS).
- That surgeon is – at minimum – also a member of the American Society of Plastic
Surgeons (ASPS).
- Whenever possible, select a surgeon who is also a member or candidate of the American
Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ASAPS).
- Make sure that the facility you choose conforms to strict safety standards, such
as those standards required for Medicare Certification. Studies show that plastic
surgery procedures performed in accredited surgical facilities by Board Certified
surgeons have excellent safety statistics.
- Inform your doctor of any drugs you are taking and provide your full medical history
so that he/she can properly evaluate your medical condition and prepare for any
potential complications, especially those related to blood clotting.
- Make sure you receive proper anesthesia care by verifying that the facility will
use skilled, licensed personnel who will individually monitor you before, during,
and after the procedure.
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[In relation to these guidelines, Dr. Turpin and Dr. Zeineh are proud to be certified
by the ABPS and are members of many professional societies. They have board certified
anesthesiologists on staff, and they perform surgery at accredited surgical facilities,
ensuring you receive the safest care possible – the quality expert care you
deserve.]
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18. Where will my surgery be performed?
In almost all cases, your procedure will be performed in our private and accredited
surgical facility next to our office. Your surgery will be done in peaceful seclusion
at this state-of-the-art facility. Rest assured that you will receive the finest
care available. Most of our reconstructive operations are performed at St. Joseph
Hospital.
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19. Will my insurance cover the expense of plastic surgery?
Most insurance policies do not cover the cost of purely cosmetic surgery. However,
if the procedure is performed for reconstructive purposes, either to correct a health-related
problem or marked deformity following injury, the procedure may be covered. In any
case, it is best to check with your insurer and/or health care provider and obtain
preauthorization for your surgery.
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20. Can I finance the surgery?
Financing is now a readily available form of payment. Low monthly payments virtually
make every procedure instantly affordable.
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21. How can I pay for my surgery?
Because surgery itself is taxing enough, we want to make your payment method as
stress free as possible. That is why we offer a variety of ways to pay.
- Preauthorized insurance coverage
- Financing
- Cash, check or credit card
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In the case of insurance coverage, we will simply contact your insurance carrier(s)
for preauthorization. From there, we will work with your insurer(s) to arrange payment
and bill you directly for the balance, if any.
In the case of financing, we offer several options to help you spread your payments
over a number of installments with a small finance fee. If you would like more information
on financing options, please contact our office (714) 997-4300.
Finally, you may always pay by cash, personal check, or a major credit card –
whichever is most convenient.
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