Scottsdale – Recently, a colleague of mine asked me for some advice on how to proceed in treating an unhappy patient after surgery. After reviewing the facts, I noted that there were some clues as to the fact that  the patient had surgery without fully accepting the realities of plastic surgery.

To tell the truth, this phenomena of patients not accepting reality is something all physicians are experiencing, and in every medical specialty. It seems to be something that is far more common in the plastic surgery arena, however. I  find that there are patients in my practice who are looking for “miracles” with plastic surgery. While it is true that some patients will achieve outstanding results, the law of averages applies to plastic surgery as it does to any other discipline.

That means that all sorts of results are the rule and not the exception – some bad, some good and some great. Some patients may need re-operations to establish better results in some cases. A large part of my practice has to do with revision surgery – from procedures performed elsewhere. I cannot help everyone, however, and in some cases I consult with patients who truly do have reasonably good results, but are still out there looking for the “miracle” that just cannot be achieved.

My “golden” rule in these cases is not to operate. By not willing to accept the reality of plastic surgery, including the risks, potential complications, and re-operations, patients are demonstrating a lack of understanding that will not get better, but worse, after the procedure. It is truly in the patients best interest, for me not to operate, since they may have unrealistic expectations.

I recommend that patients do their research – not only to seek a good, board-certified plastic surgeon, but also to learn and accept the reality of plastic surgery. I do recommend that patients see multiple surgeons in consultation before making the decision about proceeding with surgery. Patients have to be willing to accept that complications and re-operations are a reality of plastic surgery and that there is no perfection with any surgery or surgeon.

One must recall that even the most respected scholars of their time had a hard time accepting that the world was not flat. It seems that the media and television are helping to skew the view that things a always “Disney perfect” when plastic surgery is seen on the tube. The reality is that the world is indeed round – even though – there were some who are not willing to accept this fact!