Patient Selection in Facial Plastic Surgery

This article provides a perspective on the process of interacting with the cosmetic surgery patient preoperatively during the selection process and postoperatively during the healing process. Patient satisfaction requires that the surgeon pay meticulous attention to the psychologic needs of the patient both pre- and postoperatively. This portion of the patient's care certainly is as important as the surgical procedure itself. The author discusses the surgeon's need to evaluate the patient's inner strength and ability to deal with the entire perioperative healing process, both physically and psychologically, and the surgeon's own strength in refusing to perform surgery when warranted.