What Your Consultation Should Include (and What’s a Red Flag if It Doesn’t)
Updated December 2025
A plastic surgery consultation is where marketing ends and medicine begins. You’re not just “meeting the doctor”—you’re stress-testing the practice’s safety systems, aligning on realistic goals, and confirming that the team can support you from day one through recovery. A strong consult is structured, transparent, and unrushed. A weak one feels like a tour and a price quote.
This guide outlines the must-have elements of a high-quality consultation, the exact questions that reveal competence, and the documents you should receive before paying a deposit. You’ll also learn to spot red flags early, so you can choose with clarity and confidence.
The Four Non-Negotiables (Confirm These First)
Before you evaluate galleries or pricing, confirm the backbone of safe surgery:
- True board certification. For plastic surgery, look for American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) certification—recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS).
- Hospital privileges. Your surgeon should hold active privileges for the specific procedure you’re considering. This provides independent oversight and a transfer pathway for rare emergencies.
- Accredited facility. The operating site should be accredited by AAAASF, The Joint Commission (JCAHO), or AAAHC, with a current certificate and recent inspection date.
- Qualified anesthesia, present the entire case. An MD anesthesiologist or CRNA should be in the room start-to-finish with continuous monitoring (ECG, pulse oximetry, blood pressure, and capnography for moderate/deep sedation).
If any of these are missing or vague, that’s your first red flag cluster.
What a Strong Consultation Should Include
1) Goal Alignment You share one-sentence goals per area (e.g., “natural jawline definition without a pulled look,” “subtle dorsal refinement, preserve tip support”). The surgeon restates your goals in their own words, checks understanding, and clarifies trade-offs.
2) Detailed Medical Review & Candidacy You’ll review medical history, medications (including hormones/GLP-1, supplements), prior surgeries, allergies, nicotine exposure, OSA/CPAP, DVT risks, and support at home. The surgeon explains what surgery can and cannot do for your anatomy and lifestyle.
3) Physical Exam Targeted exam relevant to your procedure: skin quality, laxity, fat distribution, cartilage support, diastasis, hernias, asymmetries. Measurements and markings as needed.
4) Technique Discussion (With Limits) Clear explanation of the proposed approach, alternatives, and why: e.g., SMAS facelift vector and hairline preservation; rhinoplasty tip support/alar base; lift pattern vs. implant profile; diastasis repair and scar placement; lipo zones and skin quality limits. Honest discussion of what the operation won’t fix.
5) Photo Review With Timepoints Comparable, standardized before-and-afters of patients like you (age, skin quality, starting anatomy). Photos show scars and are labeled at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 12 months. You should see many steady results, not just a few dramatic highlights.
6) Facility and Anesthesia Brief Which accredited facility, the accreditation body and inspection date, who provides anesthesia, continuous presence, and monitoring standards (including capnography for moderate/deep sedation). Emergency readiness: crash cart, defibrillator, transfer agreements, drills, staff BLS/ACLS status.
7) Risk Discussion and Prevention Plan Common and procedure-specific risks explained in plain language (e.g., DVT/PE, hematoma/seroma, infection, capsular contracture, nerve changes, dry eye). The practice outlines prevention steps: risk scoring, compression devices, early ambulation, antibiotics when indicated, technique choices, and when they stage instead of combining.
8) Recovery Roadmap Written timeline for restrictions and milestones: lifting, driving, showering, garments, sitting/off-loading (for BBL), sleeping position, return-to-work by job type (desk/public/physical), and when results are work-capable vs. photo-comfortable vs. “final.”
9) Scar Map & Care Protocol Expected incision locations, visibility strategies, and a step-by-step plan (taping, silicone, massage/lasers if appropriate) with timing.
10) Pricing & Policies in Writing Itemized quote that separates surgeon fee, anesthesia, facility, garments/meds, and likely extras (labs/pathology). Written revision policy (timing, criteria, typical costs), payment/cancellation terms, and after-hours contact pathway.
11) Space and Pace No pressure to book. You’re encouraged to review documents at home or schedule a follow-up call to resolve remaining questions.
The Consultation Questions That Reveal Competence
Use this table during your visit and jot down exact phrasing in the answer column.
A trustworthy team answers directly, provides documents, and welcomes follow-up questions.
What to Take Home Before You Pay a Deposit
- Confirmation of ABPS board certification and active hospital privileges for your procedure
- Facility accreditation certificate and inspection date
- Anesthesia details (provider credentials, continuous presence, monitoring standards; PONV and multimodal pain plans)
- Comparable, standardized photos with visible scars and time labels (6 weeks, 3 months, 12 months)
- Recovery roadmap (restrictions, garments, positioning, driving/work windows)
- DVT prevention protocol (compression, early ambulation, medication if indicated)
- Written revision policy (timing, criteria, typical costs)
- After-hours number and follow-up schedule
- Itemized quote (surgeon, anesthesia, facility, garments/meds, likely extras; payment/cancellation terms)
No documents? No booking.
Red Flags If Your Consultation Doesn’t Include These
Missing board specificity. “Board-certified” without naming the ABPS—or only listing non-ABMS cosmetic boards. No active hospital privileges. “We don’t need privileges; nothing ever happens.” Facility secrecy. Unwilling to show accreditation proof or inspection date; vague emergency plan. Anesthesia gaps. No named anesthesia provider, no guarantee of continuous presence, no capnography for moderate/deep sedation. Photo games. Only early “after” pictures, hidden scars, no time labels, no patients like you. Risk minimization. “We don’t dwell on risks; it scares patients.” No DVT plan or staging criteria. Rushed or sales-y tone. Same-day discounts, pressure to add procedures, avoidance of your questions. Thin access. No after-hours pathway, generic voicemail, unclear follow-up schedule. Policy opacity. No written revision policy, no itemized quote, surprise add-ons.
Two or more red flags? Slow down and seek a second opinion.
What “Good” Feels Like in the Room
- The surgeon restates your goals accurately and discusses limits without defensiveness.
- You see matched, standardized photos with honest scar views and timepoints.
- Safety systems are explained plainly; the team is proud to show accreditation and anesthesia standards.
- Recovery is described in real-life terms (work role, childcare, travel).
- You leave with documents, not slogans—and zero pressure to book.
Procedure-Specific Consultation Touchpoints
Facelift/Neck Lift Hairline and sideburn preservation, earlobe position, SMAS/platysma strategy, neck depth work; photos with hair pulled back at multiple angles and timepoints.
Rhinoplasty Tip support, alar base plan, breathing function, thick-skin expectations; frontal and profile outcomes with long-term refinement.
Breast Lift/Augmentation/Reduction Lift pattern vs. implant profile trade-offs, nipple position, capsular contracture counseling, bra sizing vs. chest width, long-term scar evolution.
Abdominoplasty Diastasis repair technique, low/concealable scar plan, posture progression, garment choreography, DVT strategy.
Liposuction/BBL Skin quality candidacy, conservative volume philosophy, operative time limits, strict sitting/off-loading rules, staged approach when needed.
Blepharoplasty Dry-eye risk review, crease height options, local-plus-sedation vs. general with monitoring details, open/closed-eye photos at several stages.
Turn the Consultation Into a Plan You Can Live With
Ask the practice to email a concise summary that includes: your goals in their words, the planned technique, scar map, recovery milestones, risk-reduction steps, anesthesia/facility specifics, after-hours contacts, follow-up schedule, and your itemized quote and policies. Use that packet to compare options calmly at home. Give yourself at least 24 hours of “decision distance” before paying a deposit.
FAQs
How long should a proper consultation take?
Typically 30–60 minutes, longer for complex plans. If time runs out, request a second visit or virtual follow-up to finish questions calmly.
Is it okay to record the consultation?
Ask permission first. Many practices allow short audio notes for personal use, and most will provide written summaries if you request them.
How many surgeons should I meet?
Two to three is common. Bring the same questions and photos to each to enable fair, apples-to-apples comparison.
What if the surgeon won’t show facility or accreditation details?
That’s a red flag. Choose a team that welcomes safety questions and shares proof without hesitation.
When should I judge the final result?
Most procedures settle between 3–12 months. Ask for a realistic window and a follow-up photo plan at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 12 months.
Your Consultation-Day Checklist (Print and Bring)
- One-page goals sheet, priorities/acceptances, and reference photos (3–5 “like,” 1–2 “avoid”)
- Full medication/supplement list, allergies, prior surgeries, nicotine exposure, OSA/CPAP, DVT history
- The questions table above, ready for notes
- Proof requests you will ask for in writing: accreditation certificate + inspection date, anesthesia details, recovery roadmap, revision policy, itemized quote, after-hours contact
- A personal rule: no same-day booking—review materials at home first
Find Your Match
Ready to meet surgeons who welcome tough questions and provide real documentation? AestheticMatch connects you with board-certified, pre-vetted plastic surgeons who operate in accredited facilities and offer clear, patient-first consultations.
