Questions to Ask

You’ve researched your procedure and evaluated your surgeon. There are however other things that need to be considered as well. These include anesthesia and the facility in which your procedure will be performed. The surgeon is not the only one who will be taking care of you and there are things you should find out especially if the surgery is going to be done in the office. We’ve included a checklist that you can use to help in this evaluation.

It is common for people considering plastic surgery to interview several surgeons before making a decision. Such comparison is a valuable process. To enable you to compare “apples” with “apples” and not “oranges,” we provide the following worksheet. Complete it for each surgeon and facility you consider.

Verify safety and certification factors which insure your ultimate protection. Small differences in fee quotations between surgeons may actually represent major differences in your safety – both during surgery and in the recovery room. Should an emergency occur you’ll want to know the medical team has the skills and equipment needed. The importance of having a highly-qualified medical team and a certified facility cannot be overestimated.

Anesthesia

Who will be giving the anesthesia?

  • MD Anesthesiologist
  • Certified Nurse Anesthetist
  • Surgeon and Nurse (RN?)
  • Surgeon Only

Surgery Facility

Is it accredited?

  • Medicare?
  • State?
  • AAAASF?
  • AAAHC?

Operating Room

Monitoring in the operating room?

  • EKG?
  • Pulse Oximetry?
  • Blood Pressure?
  • Capnograph (CO2)?

Recovery Room

Monitoring in the recovery room?

  • EKG?
  • Pulse Oximetry?
  • Blood Pressure?

Who will be present in the recovery room with you?

  • Degree: RN?
  • Current CPR Certification?
  • Current Advanced Cardiac Life Support Certification?

Does that person have other responsibilities elsewhere in the office at the same time? The highest levels of certification require a Registered Nurse (R.N.) who has current CPR and Advanced Cardiac Life Support certifications; the R.N. should not have any other duties while a patient is in the Recovery Room.

Emergency Procedures

How does the surgery facility handle a medical emergency? Make sure the facility has a “crash cart” with the medications and equipment to handle a life-threatening emergency.

Does the surgeon have transfer privileges at a nearby hospital? Such privileges enable the surgeon to admit you to the hospital in the event of an emergency.

Please feel free to call our office at 615-327-0201 and ask to speak with one of our patient counselors about the procedure, costs and financing options.

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