Don't fool yourself. Nothing in life is perfect. Nothing is without trade offs. Augmentation is no different. You can't choose a set of options for breast augmentation that doesn't come with a package of trade offs. Trade offs are compromises that you accept when you select an implant, a pocket location, an incision location, or any other option in augmentation. You will accept trade offs whether you know it or not. The more you know about trade offs of each option, the better choices you can make.
In our practice, any surprise that occurs in augmentation is a problem. We don't want surprises. We certainly don't want problems. Our goal is to inform and educate you to help us make the best possible decisions.
When you decide to have an augmentation, you are deciding to take risks. Every medical procedure requires that you take certain risks to potentially gain certain benefits. Every cosmetic surgical procedure is totally elective. You choose it. You don't require it. There is no medical reason that requires you to have it. For any procedure that you want but don't really need, the potential benefits should far outweigh any potential risks. To decide whether a set of risks is reasonable and justifiable, you must first know what the risks are and how likely it is that those risks will occur.
The following table lists trade offs that are associated with common options available in augmentation. The purpose of this overview is to emphasize that No option or set of options in augmentation is without trade offs.
The potential benefits of each of these options are described in chapters five and six for comparison with the trade offs. Trade offs always depend on the details of each specific case. The characteristics of your tissues can significantly affect the trade offs. The experience of your surgeon with different options can significantly affect the trade offs. After a surgeon examines you, be sure to ask about specific trade offs and how they relate to your specific tissues and the surgeon's experience with different options.
If it's a surprise, it's a problem. There are two kinds of surprises. A surprise can be something you don't know about that confuses or frightens you, or a surprise can be a medical complication that causes untoward medical events.
The first type of surprise, something you don't know about that confuses or frightens you, is potentially preventable. The second, a medical complication, can occur despite all best efforts by you and your surgeon.
Most people deal with the unknown problems better if they know what's coming. When you have an augmentation, your body will do predictable, and sometimes unpredictable, things in response to your surgery during the healing process.
The more you know about what to expect and what is normal, the less confused or frightened you will be when it occurs. It's a team job to assure that you know what to expect after your surgery. It's the responsibility of your surgeon and your surgeon's staff to provide information for you. It's your responsibility to use it and assume responsibility for your choices, requests, and decisions.
If you don't receive comprehensive information from your surgeon, you never have an opportunity to read and digest it. The amount and quality of written and spoken information that you receive from surgeons is an excellent way to evaluate different surgeons. If you receive good information and you don't read and digest it, you aren't doing your job, and you are making your life more difficult during recovery. You can't possibly remember every detail about what to expect. That's why most surgeons will give you specific, written information to use as a reference. Keep it. Use it. Despite good reference material, things can occur that reading an explanation just doesn't solve.
Once usually isn't enough. After you read information, you should hear or read many of the same facts again from your patient educator or surgeon and see many items repeated in written documents you will sign. Surgeons who provide you information in stages and information that is repetitive are making the best effort to assure that you're receiving the most complete information and have the best chance of understanding the information.
Before your augmentation, be sure that all of your questions are answered. If you are the least bit unclear about anything, ask. Take notes, and spend time going over them. The more you know, the more comfortable you'll be, the fewer surprises you'll have, and the fewer problems there will be. If you can't get your questions answered and feel that you thoroughly understand, stop until you do.
Author Resource:-
Dave Stringham, the President of LookingYourBest.com writes about plastic surgery in Dallas, Texas and plastic surgery procedures such as Dallas augmentation, rhytidectomy, breast augmentation, rhinoplasty, abdominoplasty, and liposuction.
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