In general, when all variables surrounding surgery go as planned, there is a reasonable chance that the end result will be one to two steps of improvement. These limitations should be clearly understood by both you and your surgeon. This degree of improvement is dependent not only on the surgeon's experience and skills but also on your age, skin texture, general health, underlying bone structure, "composite" aesthetics, and on certain imponderables of healing.

(3) The reason for seeking cosmetic plastic surgery should be realistic. In particular, patients who blame their appearance for their lack of success or their unhappiness in life are generally unfulfilled after cosmetic surgery. Plastic surgery should be undertaken only after you clearly understand the goals of the surgery, which generally are to improve your appearance and to give you a natural-looking appearance, while drawing attention to your more aesthetic features and away from the less aesthetic aspects.

(4) You must accept some pain and discomfort after surgery. Generally, after plastic surgery there is a minimal amount of pain, which can be managed with pain medications taken by mouth. However, you must be willing to accept some discomfort.

(5) All surgery involves risks, from the anesthesia to the actual operation itself. Some of the risks associated with surgery include reactions to anesthesia or other medical treatments, infection, poor wound healing, injuries to muscles or nerves, numbness, swelling, bruising and discoloration, facial asymmetry, and even statistically unlikely risks such as blindness, paralysis, or death. One analogy that you may consider is comparing cosmetic surgery to a long-awaited vacation. Just as the method of transportation to the vacation (no matter which method is chosen) puts you at a small but definite risk of catastrophe, cosmetic surgery involves certain small but finite risks for any given procedure. Just as the possibility of a catastrophe occurring to a given person on a particular vacation trip is statistically unlikely, so are many of the risks associated with plastic surgery. For this reason there is no way that a surgeon can ethically guarantee the results of plastic surgery. The surgeon can only vow to achieve the best possible result with the skills that he or she possesses, taking into consideration your tissue and general health. Perhaps the most important risk for you to accept is the need for possible staged revision procedures to attain the desired, ultimate result.

(6) Swelling and some amount of bruising result from all cosmetic surgery procedures. We go to great lengths to minimize the amount of fluid collection and discoloration after surgery. Many of the postoperative instructions included involve methods for decreasing swelling and bruising. However, you must be willing to accept some swelling and bruising with the realization that it is temporary.

(7) Whenever an incision is made through the full thickness of the skin, some scarring will result. We go to great lengths to minimize the amount of scarring associated with the incisions; however, some scarring results with any incision. In addition, during the postoperative period, the incisions are frequently pink and irregular in contour. As these scars "mature," they become less conspicuous. This process takes anywhere from six months to a year, and in the interim, you can generally camouflage your scars with cosmetics, hairstyling, or both.

(8) Finally, and perhaps most importantly, your general attitude and desire to adhere to instructions play an important role in the success of plastic procedures. In addition, assuring that your overall health is good before undertaking any elective procedure is mandatory. Our general recommendation is that you see your primary care physician for a checkup before surgery, particularly if you have medical problems (eg., high blood pressure). In addition, if you are planning to undergo eyelid surgery, we may recommend that you see your eye doctor for an examination and a visual field test before surgery. We may attempt to contact your primary care physician or eye doctor to discuss any concerns he or she may have regarding your outpatient surgery.