Tips to Reduce Risks of Cosmetic Surgery Complications or Malpractice

Cosmetic surgery malpractice can cause severe health complications, just like other surgeries. Both surgeons and patients have roles to play to avoid such complications. Below are some measures to help you avoid such complications.

Choose the Right Surgeon

Your choice of cosmetic surgeon plays a big role in your surgery’s success. Take your time to choose the best surgeon possible. Here are some pointers to use:

• Ensure your doctor has the right specialty, license, and adequate experience. Specifically, the doctor should have a certification from the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
• Research your surgeon for past complaints or malpractices.
• Choose a surgeon with hospital privileges. Hospitals only work with reputable surgeons, so a hospital privilege is a mark of quality.
• Choose a surgeon who has performed multiple similar procedures.

Don’t rush this step. Apart from reducing the risk of malpractice, the right surgeon also increases your chance of the best outcome for your surgery.

Choose the Right Facility

Both the surgeon and the hospital are responsible for your surgery’s outcome — after all, even hospitals can face malpractice claims. Thus, you should also take your time to choose the right facility for the surgery. For example, the facility should:

• Have the relevant license
• Not have numerous complaints against it
• Have the facilities and equipment for your surgery

In most cases, the right facility and surgeon go together.

Ensure You Give Informed Consent

Understand as much as you can about your surgery before going under the knife. Complete and relevant information about the procedure will help you give informed consent. Below are some things you should understand to give informed consent:

• An overview of the surgical procedure
• The pros and cons of having and not having the procedure
• The potential complications
• Alternatives to the procedure
• The recovery period, dos and don’ts

Your informed consent depends on both you and your surgeon. Your surgeon should give you relevant information and answer your questions. Answer all questions honestly and seek clarification when necessary.

Minimize the Procedures

All surgeries have their potential risks. The more surgeries you undergo, the more likely you might experience some risks. For example, a full-body makeover that involves the arms, thighs, chin, and tummy is more likely to trigger complications than a solo tummy tuck. Thus, you can minimize your risk exposure by undergoing minimal surgeries.

Follow Your Surgeon’s Orders

Your risk of complications does not end when you leave the operating room, as mistakes during recovery or follow-up care can also trigger medical complications. Here again, both you and the surgeon have roles to play. For example, the surgeon and their team (such as nurses) should monitor your progress and intervene, if necessary.

Follow your surgeon’s advice to the letter. For example, the surgeon may advise you to:

• Avoid certain foods for some time
• Limit alcohol for some time
• Avoid physically strenuous activities
• Keep the surgical wound clean

Follow your surgeon’s advice to the letter.

Don’t Hesitate to Ask Questions

Lastly, keep an eye on everything and don’t hesitate to ask questions if something seems amiss. Don’t stop your concerns once you have given your informed consent. For example, seek clarification from the surgeon if they change your operation date, surgical facility, or time. Inform the surgeon if your general physician prescribes some medication before your surgery. 

Hopefully, you won’t suffer any complications with your cosmetic surgery. Note that you are not automatically to blame if you suffer complications. Get medical care for the complications and then contact The Wenck Firm to evaluate the injury and determine whether someone is liable for them. We will also help you pursue the damages you deserve for the complications.

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