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Reducing the Complications of Facial Cosmetic Surgery

By: Sara Goldstein

This article was authored by a non-health professional.

Posted Tuesday, July 03, 2007

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Concerned about the risks and complications of facial cosmetic surgery? The best way to resolve your concerns is to consult with a board-certified facial cosmetic surgeon.

Choose a facial cosmetic surgeon rather than a general cosmetic surgeon

The training and experience of a board-certified facial cosmetic surgeon is vital to the success of your procedure. Board-certified facial plastic surgeons, like Denver's Dr. Robert G. Fante, are highly trained to minimize and hide scars from face lifts and other facial procedures, and have intensive experience specifically in procedures involving the face and neck. General cosmetic surgeons are trained to work on a variety of body areas and may not have the specific expertise for cosmetic surgeries of the face and neck only.

• Board-certified facial plastic surgeons are more aware of the latest advances in techniques for face and neck procedures.
• They likely have more experience in terms of the number of individual procedures they have performed on the face and neck, unlike general plastic surgeons who can perform plastic surgery anywhere on the body.

Your expectations are key

Trust is an important issue when choosing the right surgeon for your cosmetic procedure. Meet with your chosen facial cosmetic surgeon and work out a treatment plan that meets your needs and expectations. Don't be afraid to ask your doctor about his experience in performing your type of surgery! Specifically, ask to see before-and-after pictures of excellent results and poor results as well.

Simple changes to your appearance through cosmetic surgery can vastly affect your self-esteem and have a positive impact on your whole life. But cosmetic surgery should not be undertaken lightly. Facial cosmetic surgery is a serious medical procedure that carries real risks.

Questions to ask yourself

• Can I follow 'doctor's orders' before and after surgery for the best outcome?
• Are my expectations realistic? Does my surgeon think so?
• Is my relationship with my surgeon open and honest?
• Take time to weigh your expectations against the risks by considering these factors:
  • The post-surgery recovery period
  • The cost of surgery
  • Your risk of complications based on personal health and type of surgery

What complications can occur?

While facial cosmetic surgery is considered fairly safe, there are specific complications that can and do occur. Before undergoing surgery, discuss these risks with your facial cosmetic surgeon to be sure you are well informed. The most common facial cosmetic surgery complications include:

• Reaction to anesthesia - usually lasts only a few hours
• Hematoma - bleeding under the skin that may require additional surgery
• Bleeding - light bleeding is expected, but uncontrolled bleeding is dangerous
• Infection - Usually occurs in one area, such as incision site. Relieved with antibiotics

Minor post-operative conditions

Sometimes you'll see minor conditions referred to as complications. There's an important difference between a real complication and a passing post-surgical condition or side-effect. A real complication is very rare indeed and requires medical intervention, whether further surgery, medication, or hospitalized monitoring. But minor side-effects are common or routine, and simply require time and good self-care. Such minor conditions would be:

• Bruising
• Swelling
• Temporary pain or discomfort
• Crusting on incisions as they heal
• Temporary numbness or tingling around incisions
• Temporary nerve impairment

Following your surgeon's post-operative instructions will deal effectively with all these conditions.

A few words about scarring

Depending on the procedure and your facial cosmetic surgeon's specific techniques, scars may be located in various places on the face and around the ears. Scarring is inevitable, and although your scars may not look very pretty immediately after surgery, they will fade over time and should, for the most part, be unnoticeable after three months. Choosing a board-certified facial cosmetic surgeon reduces your risk of scarring.

Remember that any legally licensed doctor can perform cosmetic surgery. But is it reasonable to expect that a doctor trained in another specialty, such as dermatology, could achieve the same level of experience and provide the same results as a board-certified facial cosmetic surgeon? That's why the educated cosmetic surgery candidate will choose a cosmetic surgeon like Dr. Robert G. Fante, who is skilled in combining the technical aspects of facial surgery with the artistic skills necessary to produce beautiful results.

Your choice of surgeons is crucial to the outcome of your surgery and its potential complications and risks. Choose wisely and you'll enjoy the results for years to come.

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