How do you find your specialist for your cosmetic surgery – what should you pay attention to?

Choosing a doctor is a very complex and extensive topic. Many important factors are not easily recognizable for the layperson. It is not enough just to be a medical specialist.

The qualification, further training, the operating room staff, the safety in the operating room, the use of mature and safe methods, etc. – everything together ensures high quality and a minimization of your personal risk. Therefore, the selection of the specialist for your cosmetic surgery is the basis for a successful treatment.

Experience and qualification of our specialists

When choosing a doctor , you should be very careful and consider various factors. The cost of surgery is one factor, but it shouldn’t be the only one.

It’s the same as in many other areas – cheap is not good . Rather, you have to be worth the price.

We notice this in the increasing number of patients who contact us for a correction of the operation that has already been carried out. It is not always possible to correct an operation – and this is often very time-consuming and expensive. Therefore, we want to give you advice on which points you should consider when choosing your doctor.

Training as a specialist in plastic and aesthetic surgery

The specialist for plastic and aesthetic surgery is a recognized specialist – often only specialist for plastic surgery is specified. The scope of training includes aesthetic surgery, reconstructive surgery (= restorative surgery, e.g. after accidents or tumor operations), burn surgery and hand surgery.

Specialists in plastic surgery learned during their 6-year training how large or difficult malformations or accidental damage can be repaired (e.g. repairing skin damage after burns, replicating ears from cartilage parts, breast reconstruction after tumor surgery, etc.).

Pay attention to the medical specialist designation Specialist in Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery.

Points to consider when choosing a doctor no pressure to sell

You should be able to decide for yourself whether you want to have the procedure performed or not

high hygiene and maximum protection against infection

Especially nowadays, hygiene measures are very important . A lot can also be done in the practice / clinic so that you are protected accordingly. This includes, for example, the following measures:

• few patients in the practice
• Avoidance of strangers in the treatment area
• Appropriate hygiene for therapists and staff
• High quality cleaning practice / treatment areas, etc.
• Appropriate ventilation

You can find more information about hygiene and infection protection on the website of the KVB and the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians

Beware of special offers or cheap offers

The fee schedule for doctors forms the basis for billing for medical services . If there are large discrepancies, you should examine in detail where these discrepancies come from. Good training and quality costs money! Be pricked when you read about “Remaining place offers”, “Summer offers” or discount campaigns. The basis for all billing is the fee schedule for doctors (GOÄ) – and it does not differentiate according to months, days, etc., but according to difficulty and time required.

Beware of the “latest” and “modern” treatments

The newest is not always the best. There have already been many new methods that have disappeared again in a relatively short time (e.g. breast implants with a titanium coating).

Your safety is at stake and remember that an operation is irreversible. It’s better to be reasonable than an intervention with subsequent corrective interventions.

No treatment without examination

No sane specialist will treat you without first examining you. Every doctor should first check whether there are reasons why the correction should not be carried out and whether the desired change is possible at all.

Be careful with packages

Not everyone has the same initial situation and the same desire for change. Therefore, the effort for a treatment is always different – and therefore the costs are always slightly different. Individual factors also influence the cost of treatment

Trust

You have to have trust in your therapist – it’s better to have one more conversation before you make the wrong decision. Do not decide to have an operation until you have been informed about all the risks, dangers, etc.

Comprehensive preventive and aftercare

The first consultation with your doctor should be well before the day of the operation . This gives you the opportunity to make your decision in peace. In addition to the actual procedure, thorough preventive and aftercare also contribute to the success of the treatment. In the case of operations abroad, this is generally not guaranteed.

Before you make a decision, find out about aftercare (e.g. follow-up appointments, what happens if there are complications or unsightly results, etc.). Refrain from an operation if preventive and follow-up care is not possible to the full extent and with the involvement of the surgeon.

Detailed information about risks and the healing process

If you know what you are getting yourself into, then there are fewer uncertainties after the operation. In addition , every treatment involves risks and the possibility of complications . No surgeon can completely rule this out. In addition to the facts themselves, this is often a financial risk, since any follow-up treatment, etc. can be charged accordingly. Many patients who decide to have surgery abroad forget this.

Medical card

If in doubt, have the doctor’s ID shown to you – it is the instrument that certifies its holder’s membership in the profession of “doctor” in the electronic world as well. Especially in the field of wrinkle treatment, we always find offers from beauticians or other professions.

online reviews

View online reviews with a healthy dose of skepticism . There are now agencies that write ” fake reviews ” and respond to inquiries accordingly. You always have to question why one provider has xxx ratings and why the other only has x – few ratings does not always mean something bad. It can either be that the provider does not actively approach its customers with little or no ratings, there is no agency behind it, or there is a self-interest in the interface offered.

Before / after pictures

Caution when publishing before/after pictures – publication is prohibited under the Medicines Advertising Act . With modern image processing, images can be manipulated very easily.

All of our specialists in plastic and aesthetic surgery also meet the following minimum requirements

In our opinion, training alone is not enough – extensive experience, high-quality operating and treatment rooms and the greatest possible care ensure your safety. All of our specialists in plastic surgery must therefore meet our minimum requirement profile in addition to the points listed above. This is checked regularly. All our specialists must also fulfill the following points:

Specialization in sub-areas of aesthetic surgery

Not every doctor is very good at all treatments . Therefore, a specialization in the interventions must be proven.

Advice from the operator

It’s about you! Therefore, the surgeon must know exactly what you are imagining. As part of a preliminary examination, your idea will be compared with what is medically feasible. Accordingly, the surgeon can also tell you exactly what dangers, complications or possibilities exist, so that you can consider for yourself whether the procedure is an option for you.

The consultation must take place at an early stage so that you have enough time to think about it and can clarify any open questions before the treatment. In our opinion, this is the only way to ensure a trusting cooperation between patient and surgeon.

Regular further training of the surgeon and the staff

Nothing is as constant as change – that’s why all our specialists in plastic surgery have to demonstrate regular further training . And not just for yourself – but also for the staff.

High-quality and modern surgical equipment and ensuring emergency medicine

All of our affiliated specialists for plastic surgery have to prove that they have a high-quality and modern operating theatre. In addition, it must be proven which safety measures are in place in an emergency. This provides the necessary security if a complication would arise during the procedure.

Regular control of safety and hygiene

What good are safety precautions if they don’t work? Therefore, all affiliated partners must regularly check their safety precautions and hygiene measures .

High patient satisfaction & quality control

Aesthetics is not just about the surgical result – in our opinion it is more about making you feel more comfortable in your own skin. Therefore, a high level of patient satisfaction is important to us. For this purpose, corresponding quality controls must be proven at each of our partners .

These are also checked accordingly. Online evaluation portals are considered with great caution, since this information is often not controllable (e.g. the doctor is subject to confidentiality or the portals do not have to disclose the data of the rater).

We conduct our own patient satisfaction reviews . You can support us by rating our doctors after your consultation or treatment.

For us, not only the operational area is important – but also how e.g. e.g. appointments are kept, the surgeon can also be reached outside of office hours (e.g. for possible complications), how quickly inquiries are responded to, that extensive follow-up checks are carried out after the operation, that extensive consultations are carried out, etc.

We also look at the quality assurance of the individual practices / clinics.

Liability for Aesthetic Procedures

Each of our specialized doctors must provide us with proof of medical liability insurance , which also includes aesthetic procedures .

Transparent costs

The devil is often in the details. Before the operation, you must know exactly what costs you will incur (including bodice, any anesthesia costs, etc.)

Compliance with legal requirements and use of internationally recognized methods

Each of our partners is obliged to comply with legal requirements and to refrain from inadmissible advertising (e.g. advertising without before and after pictures, inadmissible advertising statements such as “Leaner in 2 hours”, etc.)

to use internationally recognized treatment methods so that your risk is minimized as much as possible.

Reports from patients & colleagues

The most important thing for us is that you are satisfied . That’s why we ask our patients about their satisfaction. You can also submit your evaluation or your experience report about our specialists online at any time. In addition, we ask our patients and do not rely on foreign sources. We also inquire with colleagues of the respective doctors.