Things To Think About Before Plastic Surgery

Qualifications of the doctor

In Australia there is no law protecting patients undergoing cosmetic surgery – this means that anyone with a basic medical degree and no further formal training can engage in non surgical cosmetic treatments (such as antiwrinkle injections, fillers, etc), and even call themselves cosmetic surgeons, and perform cosmetic surgeries.

Only a specialist Plastic Surgeon such as Dr Aggarwal, has had formal training in cosmetic surgery undertaking 10 years of training BEYOND medical school.

Click here to read more about differences between Plastic Surgeons and Cosmetic Surgeons.

In recent times, Medical Tourism in south-east Asia has gained popularity. The costs are often much less than Australia because it is difficult to ascertain the qualifications of the doctor, the quality of the facility where you will receive your care, the quality and standard of implants (if applicable) and little to no aftercare in the case of complications. We would caution anyone considering this option as the cost saving may not justify the downsides.

The facility where you will have your surgery:

Dr Aggarwal will always perform your surgery in an accredited private hospital. Only the simplest procedures will be offered in rooms under local anaesthetic.

You should be cautious about being offered surgery in non-accredited facilities – the reasons for this can be cost cutting, or because the medical practitioner will not gain accreditation in a private hospital.

With the recent discovery of diseases such as ALCL it is imperative that if you are considering breast augmentation or implant revision, your surgeon should follow the 14 point plan to prevent contamination of implants during insertion. This is only possible in a clean, and safe environment of an accredited facility.

• Click here to read our section on ALCL
• Click here to read the 14 point plan

What anaesthetic will be used

Only the simplest procedures can be performed under local anaesthetic (such as lesion removal, scar revision, simple eyelid surgery, nipple procedure and minor liposuction)

Most cosmetic procedures will usually require General Anaesthesia by an accredited anaesthetist in an accredited facility.

Unfortunately due to lax regulation, cosmetic procedures are often offered under twilight anaesthetic (or sedation) with excessive amounts of local anaesthesia. This has led to occurrences of toxicity from local anaesthesia and significant complications.

What aftercare will you receive?

At Mode plastic surgery, we believe the quality of your aftercare is just as important as the surgery itself. This is because in those rare circumstances when things go wrong, quick and prompt treatment can make the difference between poor and good outcome.

Dr Aggarwal routinely provides direct contact details to his private patients in the case of an emergency. This is to offer patients the piece of mind that help will be at close hand should there be a problem.

We also ask you to come in relatively often after surgery so we can check the progress of your recovery post surgery, and in case you have any questions during the recovery period. There is no charge for this service.

We would caution anyone receiving only limited or no aftercare particularly in the case of implant surgery where they can take months to settle down, and problems can appear late (up to 12 months from surgery). Many cheap cosmetic clinics will also refuse seeing patients for ‘revisions’ or charge patients significantly to discourage them from this. At Mode Plastic Surgery we will not charge you out of pocket surgical fees in the case of a complication, providing you with a total peace of mind.

Questions to ask when planning cosmetic surgery

You should ask your surgeon

• What are the qualifications of the surgeon – are they a specialist plastic surgeon?
  • You can check for yourself by visiting ASAPS or ASPS websites, or checking the AHPRA website and scrolling to the bottom where it will list the practitioner’s specialty
• What training has the surgeon received in the procedure?
• How often does the surgeon perform the procedure?
• Ask to see before and after photographs
• Where will the surgeon be operating?
• What anaesthetic will you be given?
• Will there be an accredited anaesthetist
• What aftercare will be provided?
• What happens if there are any complications?

During your consultation you should also develop a degree of rapport with your surgeon and decide for yourself how comfortable you feel with them. This is hard to quantify but in general a surgeon who treats you with care, respect and empathy before a procedure will be the same person who treats you with care if things go wrong.