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DR EDDIE ROOS<br />
‘Unless you<br />
develop a good<br />
rapport with<br />
your doctor<br />
you won’t feel<br />
comfortable<br />
enough to talk<br />
honestly about<br />
what you want’<br />
A<br />
consultation is much more than simply an obligatory step before a<br />
procedure. Before any cosmetic procedure, the consultation provides<br />
you with an ideal opportunity to learn more about the procedure you’ve<br />
chosen to have, and to tell your doctor what you hope to achieve. Whether<br />
you’re having a minor aesthetic tweak or a more major change, you will also be<br />
able to learn whether the results you are looking for are achievable, given your<br />
own personal circumstances.<br />
During the consultation, good communication is imperative. Unless you are<br />
able to develop an easy rapport with your doctor, you won’t feel comfortable<br />
enough to honestly express your concerns.<br />
Whereas some patients may know with great precision what they want to change,<br />
others may not be able to pinpoint their dissatisfaction. The consultation therefore<br />
provides an ideal opportunity to ask questions of your doctor, whilst learning more<br />
about the related risks and complications associated with your procedure.<br />
It’s important to take the opportunity to ask a number of questions of your<br />
doctor during the consultation. Also, take the time to find out how long the recovery<br />
period will last, what you will need to do to prepare for your procedure, and what<br />
you can expect to look like immediately after. The answers to these questions will<br />
help reinforce whether or not you want to continue with the treatment.<br />
It’s just as important for the doctor to use the consultation to find out more<br />
about you. Often, doctors will turn down patients if they feel they are not suitable<br />
candidates. This may be because the patient is not ready psychologically – they<br />
might be pursuing aesthetic enhancements for the wrong reasons, or have<br />
unrealistic expectations as to what a procedure can achieve. The doctor will<br />
therefore ask pertinent questions about your expectations, goals and reasons for<br />
wanting to change.<br />
Your doctor will also relay the type of anaesthesia to be used, the risks,<br />
limitations and costs involved, and will outline the steps you will need to take<br />
both leading up to and after major procedures.<br />
Lab testing or a medical evaluation may be required in order to establish your<br />
level of health and fitness, and alterations to any existing medication plan may<br />
be recommended. Aspirin and other blood thinning drugs, for example, should<br />
not be taken in the lead up to a procedure, if possible. If you’re a smoker you will<br />
be advised to stop well in advance of major procedures due to the increase in<br />
surgical and anaesthetic complications caused <strong>by</strong> smoking tobacco.<br />
Expect your doctor to take photographs of you during the consultation. This<br />
is an important part of tracking the changes that are made post-procedure. The<br />
doctor will also use them to put together a procedural plan, tailored to your<br />
appearance and personal circumstances.<br />
Along with the physical aspect of preparing for a treatment, it’s also important<br />
you are mentally prepared for the change that will take place in your appearance.<br />
Not only are there physical complications associated with procedures but there<br />
can also be psychological reactions.<br />
By making the most of your time with the doctor before your procedure,<br />
you will be well prepared and in the best position to enjoy the outcome of your<br />
aesthetic changes.<br />
DR EDDIE ROOS WWW.COSMETICELEGANCE.COM.AU // 5
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