Elective Cosmetic Surgery – Examination of the Patient Experience (PDF; 425 KB)
Source: American Society of Plastic Surgeons/Harris Interactive
From press release:

Although 8 out of 10 cosmetic plastic surgery patients are satisfied with their surgical experience, nearly 40 percent believe they should have been more proactive in learning about potential side effects and complications before surgery, according to an American Society of Plastic Surgeons’ (ASPS) survey released today conducted by Harris Interactive®.

Interestingly, the findings suggest that some additional knowledge about potential side effects and complications may have improved patients’ surgical experience and outcome. Before surgery, 91 percent of cosmetic plastic surgery patients said they knew what to expect; however, fewer than half recalled being informed of some common side effects and complications such as bleeding (48 percent), nausea and vomiting (42 percent), or blood clots (34 percent). Patients who experienced a side effect or complication reported being unable to accomplish tasks (35 percent), decreased energy levels (32 percent), and time away from work (27 percent) as negatively impacting their daily life during recovery.

In addition, some cosmetic plastic surgery patients failed to ask questions to help them evaluate whether their doctor was qualified to perform their procedure. Shockingly, nearly one-third (28 percent) of cosmetic plastic surgery patients did not check their doctors’ credentials before surgery. Furthermore, 37 percent did not check if their surgeon was certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and 54 percent did not check if their surgeon completed an accredited residency training program in plastic surgery.

+ Patient Experiences, Perceptions, and Attitudes on Post-surgical Side Effects¹ and Complications
+ Top 10 Questions To Ask Your Surgeon Before Going Under The Knife

This entry was posted on Monday, March 5th, 2007 at 9:37 pm and is filed under Consumer issues, Health and healthcare. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.