Rejected for Plastic Surgery
How do you react when you’ve been rejected—for a promotion, or a date, for instance? It’s completely natural to feel defensive and perhaps angry at times like this, even as an adult. Even when you’re investigating cosmetic surgery. That’s right, any plastic surgeon worth his or her salt will turn down patients occasionally.
In our practice in New York, cosmetic surgery patients occasionally receive unexpected input from us, and sometimes we recommend they don’t pursue the procedure they’re thinking about. Here’s what to keep in mind if this should happen to you.
You May Need Something Different
Sometimes patients walk in the door with a definite type of treatment in mind. For example, we may see a woman whose best friend has had a great result with a facial filler, and our prospective patient may want to try the same procedure. If we should feel the woman truly needs facelift surgery to attain the outcome she wants, we’ll be honest about it. Depending on the situation, we may go ahead with a filler to show the patient what we mean, or we may ask her to go home and think about her choices instead.
You May Be Seeking Too Much Change
Once in a while someone visits our New York cosmetic surgery practice looking for a miracle. It could be they expect a facelift to turn back the clock more than a few years. We also see the occasional man or woman who believes liposuction can sculpt a swimsuit model body when their physique just won’t go there. If, after a heart-to-heart conversation, we feel a patient will not be satisfied with looking “much better” than before, we may turn down their request for a surgical date.
In these media-crazed times, we meet a few patients who actually want to look like someone else—a celebrity, most often. In these cases we have an in depth discussion to find out whether the person is hoping for a nose or breasts similar to their idol, and whether it makes sense to aim toward that outcome. If we encounter someone who actually wants a makeover to look like an actor, a cartoon character or a doll, we gently steer them away from the office.
Your Physical or Mental Health is in Question
No matter whether we move ahead with a procedure for you or not, your physical and mental well-being are of utmost importance. If there’s any question about whether you’re healthy enough to undergo the procedure you have in mind, we will make suggestions about how you can get there and/or refer you back to your primary care physician.
Discovering you’ve already had several cosmetic procedures—especially if you’re not content with what we believe are good results—will be a red flag for us. It will give us pause if you show other signs of a psychological issue (such as Body Dysmorphic Disorder), like looking in the mirror obsessively or feeling extremely bothered by a body part that seems just fine to us. We may suggest you see a counselor to sort your feelings out before considering cosmetic surgery.
The Bottom Line
Our advice to our New York cosmetic surgery patients and to you is to listen to your plastic surgeon if he or she is reluctant to move ahead. Ask him or her to explain honestly and completely the concerns they have, and hear them out with an open mind. Seek a second or even a third opinion if you like, and make sure each plastic surgeon you see is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. (It should be a red flag to you if an experienced, qualified doctor turns you down while a second gives you an aggressive sales pitch.)
Remember, a well-trained, certified plastic surgeon has your best interests at heart. Your health and happiness will always come first, and they will be more than willing to lose the chance to sign up a new patient if the best course of action is not to proceed.
If we can help you in any way, send us an email or call 212-570-6080.
