Why It Can Be Helpful to Have More Than One Plastic Surgery Consultation

Choosing to have plastic surgery is a significant decision, and choosing your surgeon is an important part of that process. For many patients, meeting with more than one plastic surgeon can be worthwhile before deciding how, or even whether, to proceed.

A consultation is not simply an opportunity to find out how much a procedure costs. It should help you better understand your anatomy, learn about your treatment options, and determine whether a surgeon’s approach aligns with your goals.

1. You Can Learn More About Your Own Anatomy

One of the most valuable parts of a plastic surgery consultation is learning more about what you are actually seeing and why.

You may come to a consultation knowing what bothers you without necessarily knowing what is causing it. For example, a concern about abdominal fullness could be related to excess skin, subcutaneous fat, separation of the abdominal muscles, visceral fat, or a combination of these. Each has different treatment options, and not all of them can be corrected with surgery.

Similarly, someone concerned about breast shape may have changes related to breast volume, skin laxity, nipple position, breast asymmetry, the position of the breast fold, or the underlying shape of the breast.

A thoughtful consultation should help you understand which anatomical features are contributing to your concern, what can realistically be changed, and what cannot. Even if you ultimately decide not to have surgery with that particular surgeon, you should leave the consultation knowing more than you did when you arrived.

2. Different Surgeons May Recommend Different Techniques

There is not always one correct way to perform a plastic surgery procedure.

Surgeons may differ in their preferred techniques based on their training, experience, and surgical philosophy. For the same procedure, surgeons might recommend different incision patterns, implant positions, methods of tissue support, or approaches to contouring.

This does not necessarily mean that one recommendation is right and another is wrong. There may be several reasonable ways to approach the same problem.

When recommendations differ, ask why. Understanding the reasoning behind a surgeon’s recommendation can be more useful than simply comparing the techniques themselves.

3. You May Be Offered Entirely Different Procedures

Sometimes the difference between consultations is more significant than surgical technique. Two surgeons may recommend entirely different procedures to address the same concern.

For example, a patient concerned about breast deflation may be a candidate for an implant alone, a breast lift alone, a breast lift with an implant, fat grafting, or a combination of procedures depending on her anatomy and goals.

This is one reason consultations can be so educational. Patients often arrive with a particular procedure in mind because that is the procedure they are familiar with. An examination may reveal that another procedure, or combination of procedures, would better address what they are hoping to change.

If you receive different recommendations, ask each surgeon what their proposed procedure is intended to accomplish, what its limitations are, and why they favor it over the alternatives.

4. You Can Better Understand the Tradeoffs

Most decisions in plastic surgery involve tradeoffs.

One option may provide a greater degree of correction but require a longer scar. Another may involve less surgery but provide a more limited change. One approach may offer greater fullness, while another prioritizes maintaining a more natural breast shape. Combining procedures may accomplish more in a single operation but can also mean a longer operation and recovery.

A consultation should include these discussions.

Rather than asking only, “What would you do?” consider asking why the surgeon recommends that option and what you would be giving up by choosing an alternative.

After hearing more than one perspective, you may also have a clearer idea of which tradeoffs matter most to you.

5. You Are Also Evaluating the Surgeon and the Practice

The surgical recommendation is only one part of choosing a plastic surgeon.

Pay attention to how the consultation feels. Does the surgeon listen to what you are actually trying to accomplish? Do you feel comfortable asking questions? Are the limitations of surgery discussed along with the potential benefits? Are risks explained clearly? Do you understand what recovery will involve?

You are also choosing the team that will help care for you before and after surgery. Consider how the office communicates, what postoperative follow-up looks like, and what happens if you have a question or concern during recovery.

Technical expertise matters, but communication and trust are also important when choosing someone to perform your surgery.

6. You Can Compare Surgical Estimates More Meaningfully

Cost is a reasonable consideration when planning elective surgery, and consultations allow you to compare estimates. However, make sure you understand what you are actually comparing.

Two estimates may represent different operations. Even when the procedure names appear identical, the estimates may include different services.

Depending on the practice and procedure, an estimate may include separate charges for the surgeon, anesthesia, operating facility, implants, surgical devices or materials, postoperative garments, or other aspects of care. Some items may be required while others are optional.

Instead of looking only at the final number, review what is included and whether the proposed surgical plans are actually comparable.

7. You Can Do Research Before Deciding Whom to See

Getting more than one opinion does not mean you need to schedule consultations with every plastic surgeon in your area.

There is a significant amount you can learn before ever making an appointment. Explore a surgeon’s website. Watch their educational videos. Read about their training and credentials. Look at the types of procedures they perform and how they explain their approach. Patient reviews can also provide insight into experiences with the surgeon, office, and postoperative care.

This preliminary research can help you narrow your list to a smaller number of surgeons whose experience, approach, and communication style seem appropriate for what you are looking for.

8. More Consultations Are Not Always Better

There can also be a point at which additional opinions create more confusion rather than clarity.

The purpose of meeting with multiple surgeons is not to continue scheduling consultations until someone recommends exactly the procedure you initially wanted or gives you the answer you hoped to hear.

If several surgeons identify the same anatomical issue or make similar recommendations, that information can be useful. If recommendations are very different, it may be worth asking additional questions to understand why.

Ultimately, the goal is to gather enough information to make an informed decision.

A Consultation Should Leave You Better Informed

Whether you meet with one plastic surgeon or several, a good consultation should provide more than a procedure recommendation and a price.

You should leave with a better understanding of your anatomy, what is contributing to your concerns, the options available to address them, the limitations and tradeoffs of those options, and what you can realistically expect from surgery.

The goal is not simply to find someone willing to perform a procedure. It is to understand your options well enough to choose a surgeon and surgical plan that you feel comfortable moving forward with.

Victoria Aimé, MD‍
‍Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon
Metropolitan Plastic Surgery | Scottsdale, Arizona

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