What They Don’t Always Tell You

Cosmetic Medical Care Risks, Complications, Outcomes, Satisfaction Rates, and the Dissatisfied Patient

Any patient undergoing a cosmetic procedure can develop a complication, and any person considering a cosmetic procedure must be willing to accept the possibility of a complication or a bad final result. With proper planning, however, the risks of either occurrence should be low. Most complications of properly performed cosmetic procedures are minor and can be managed without further surgery or hospitalization. This section will review the most common potential early complications, both local (that is, related to the procedure site itself) and systemic (affecting the body as a whole and which could develop after any major procedure performed with general anesthesia). I will also discuss late complications, which are significant problems that affect long-term results.

Complications are a double whammy for cosmetic medical patients because their occurrence risks deforming a normal body part, and their treatment may not be covered by regular health insurance. Prospective patients should check their insurance policies and may wish to consider purchasing separate complications insurance. Read the rest of this entry »