Am I a good candidate for plastic surgery?

Just because we read or hear something about plastic surgery every day in the mass media, doesn’t mean that anybody can or should undergo plastic surgery. It is true that the field of plastic surgery has seen tremendous development over the last few decades and the interventions are safer than ever before. However, plastic surgery is not like having your nails done or getting a new hairstyle. Plastic surgery is surgery, before anything else. This means that permanent alterations will be done to your body. You will need to go through anesthesia to get those changes done. This means you will need to accept the potential complications that can occur and that the results might not be satisfactory. This also means that you will face a recovery period, shorter or longer, depending on the complexity of your cosmetic intervention, during which you might experience discomfort and pain, and you might also need help in performing day to day activities.

In today’s article, we try to answer a question that should be on the mind and lips of all those interested in undergoing plastic surgery: “Am I a good candidate for plastic surgery?”

You must be well-informed

The number of patients that have resorted to plastic surgery has certainly been on the rise for a few years now. Advanced techniques have increased the number of options we have now available to improve the aspect of our bodies or correct imperfections. However, you should be well-informed before considering a certain plastic surgery procedure. Each and every procedure has certain characteristics, so even if you can choose from multiple interventions to enhance the appearance of your breasts, this doesn’t mean they are all recommended for you.

For example, many patients come to my clinic every week asking for a certain intervention because it is what their friend or a celebrity they admire had and they truly believe that it is the only method to achieve their goals. But the indication for a procedure comes only after assessing the particular anatomical characteristics of the patient and after undergoing several medical examinations. The case might be that the procedure you want can only be performed under general anesthesia and you have a severe condition preventing you from undergoing this type of anesthesia.

Being well-informed about all aspects of the surgery is important to achieve successful results but also to be sure you are a good candidate for cosmetic surgery. 

You must have realistic expectations

No surgery comes without risks, and even if cosmetic surgery can improve your body and facial aesthetics, it is not performed with the purpose to improve each and every aspect of your life. It is of paramount importance to have realistic expectations regarding the results of the procedure you are interested in.

You are not a good candidate for aesthetic surgery if your goal after the procedure is to get back the love partner that left you. Your looks will certainly improve after plastic surgery and you might even get a considerable boost of self-esteem, but this does not necessarily mean that your husband or boyfriend will come back to you.

The realistic expectations I am talking about here also concern the result of the surgery. If you are in your late 40s and you undergo a Mommy Makeover thinking you will get back the body you had in your 20s, you should know that this is not very realistic. If you undergo plastic surgery to look exactly like your favorite celebrity, you are also setting yourself a trap and falling into it, all at the same time.

A good candidate for plastic surgery should be aware of what exactly can be achieved with the procedure he or she plans to undergo.

You must be in good physical and emotional condition

Generally speaking, patients eligible for plastic surgery should be in good health and emotionally stable. If you suffer from severe or chronic diseases, the recovery process might be lengthier and more difficult for you, not to mention the fact that the rate of complication might also increase. Heart, lung, and blood conditions should be carefully assessed before you are deemed an eligible candidate for the procedure.

Keeping medical details from your plastic surgeon or choosing a surgeon that doesn’t put any emphasis on the necessity to undergo medical examinations before plastic surgery is detrimental to your well being. Life-threatening complications can occur, so better safe than sorry.

The emotional condition must also be assessed before plastic surgery. When confronted with emotional issues, the recovery might be more difficult and the stress and anxiety associated with undergoing any type of surgical intervention can become unbearable for a patient who is emotionally unstable.

You must be willing to make lifestyle choices

People undergo bariatric surgery to lose weight, then have plastic surgery to improve the results and achieve the body they have been dreaming of. Some of them will start a physical exercise routine and eat healthy and balanced to sustain the results. Others just consider that if they now have a beautiful body, it will remain like this forever, no matter what they do, because they achieved it with the help of surgery. This couldn’t be more wrong. Even if your youthful-looking, slim body is the result of bariatric and plastic surgery, it will be impacted by your lifestyle choices, just like before. If you undergo a tummy tuck or liposuction and continue with the habits that caused the fat accumulation in the first place, it will happen again, and additional interventions will be required.

You are a good candidate for plastic surgery if you are ready and willing to make the lifestyle choices necessary to sustain the results of your procedure. Moreover, it is strongly recommended for patients to have a close to normal weight before undergoing surgery. This means that plastic surgery is not a substitute for bariatric surgery and a solution to your weight issues.

At the same time, there are other lifestyle choices that can impact both the recovery after the surgical intervention and the results. Now we are talking about smoking. Smoking is something that any responsible plastic surgeon would put on the list of contraindicated things to do for at least three weeks before and after an intervention. Many patients don’t understand why and decide it is not an important recommendation. Smoking can cause a lack of oxygenation on the operated tissues. This can trigger delayed wound healing that can leave bad scarring and even skin necrosis. These are all complications of plastic surgery that can be avoided by following the surgeon’s recommendation.

You must understand and accept potential consequences

It is important to note that you can only be a good candidate for the procedure if you understand the risks and are willing to accept the consequences. You might be disappointed with the results after plastic surgery either because you didn’t properly communicate your desire to the plastic surgeon or because the operation was not a success. You might experience complications such as hematoma and seroma, infections, excessive bleeding, and so on. You might require revision surgery or additional interventions to treat the complications.

For example, in the case of patients interested in augmentations with implants, I always mention the possibility that at some point the implants might need to be removed or replaced. For breast implants it can happen to treat capsular contracture or because the implant leaked or ruptured. For butt implants, it can happen due to a deep tissue infection that can occur during the operation or later on.

Conclusion

Being interested in undergoing a plastic surgery intervention doesn’t automatically make you a good candidate. A good candidate for plastic surgery is free from severe or chronic illnesses, in good emotional and health conditions, and with clear and realistic expectations regarding the results of the procedure.

Being aware of the risks of the procedure you are interested in and being well-informed is important for your eligibility for the intervention. Pain, discomfort, and other complications might occur after the procedure and even the need to undergo additional interventions to correct or treat the complications may be necessary. Smoking or excessive drinking before or after plastic surgery increases your risks of developing complications.

It is very important to tell your plastic surgeon all about your medical history, including current and past treatments with anti-inflammatory medication, vitamins, natural supplements, birth control pills, or hormones. These products can interfere with the blood coagulation process or with other medications used during the surgery and cause severe complications.