Protect the patient and the plastic surgeon

By lcherup on February 2, 2010

I have had to institute a number of actions to protect the patient’s interests and my own.   

First, we like to make it hard to schedule, and hard to cancel.  I really don’t want patients who quickly agree to surgery, and then go home and change their mind.  It is a very rare event when I allow patients to consent to surgery after only a first visit. Even patients who travel far for the first consultation, I encourage to go home and think about it.  I got this idea from the guy who trained me, Dr. Thomas Krizek.  Google him. 

Second, we charge patients $300 to postpone, and then reschedule a surgery. The reason why is, it screws up our scheduling with our OR staff, anesthesia, implants, drug orders, etc.  It  costs $900 AN HOUR to man our multi-specialty surgery center.  We have employees who are scheduled months in advance. I cannot yank someone off the sidewalk  to fill 3 hours because a patient cancelled 3 days ago becaue her motherinlaw is in the CCU.   We of course  understand patients’ constraints, but they must understand what we bring to the table to pull off a surgery.

Third, because we are performing aesthetic plastic surgery, and insurance does not pay for post-op care, we frequently have to rely on family members to help in the post-op period.  I have husbands that I should rent out to other patients.  My patient J’s husband is a doll.  He invented a tummy -tuck dressing that is marvelous!! On the other hand, I have another patient who had 3 friends sign up for duty, and NONE panned out.  I had to admit her to our local hospital for 4 days, for routine post-op care. I am thinking of developing a consent and contract to obligate the care-giver.  Otherwise patients have to be responsible for professional care.

Posted in Uncategorized, Why aesthetic surgery costs so much, Why cosmetic surgery costs so much, why surgery is cancelled |

Cancelled Surgery

By lcherup on January 6, 2009

When we have to cancel surgery for patients, or when they cancel, it is always a disappointment for both sides.  I really get up for the surgeries that I have to do, I prepare and consciously and unconsciously think about them, just like an athlete training for a race.  I frequently will dream about the patient and their problem, particularly if it is a difficult one. We cancel for medical reasons, such as hypertension that is not controlled optimally before the surgery, and blood-thinners that pose a risk of bleeding and hematoma post-op. We want the conditions to be optimal.  We want a platform for success built pre-op.

Posted in why surgery is cancelled | 6 Comments