How to Get Answers After Your Procedure

It’s normal to have a lot of questions after a procedure. Posting your question online seems quick and easy, but your doctor has the most information about your medical history and procedure, so they’re the best resource for addressing your questions. 

Your doctor or their patient coordinator should give you instructions before your procedure on how best to reach out with questions or concerns during your recovery and beyond. If that didn’t happen or you’re having trouble getting a response, you have options. 

We’ve drawn on the expertise of doctors on RealSelf for tips on how to get your questions answered, whatever your circumstances.

1) If you want to know whether your experience is normal, please reach out to your doctor. Many patients worry about contacting their provider over seemingly small concerns or questions, but your provider wants your procedure and recovery to be a success as much as you do. 

“After surgery, patients call me and sometimes apologize for bothering me. I tell them it's never a bother,” says Dr. Ted Eisenberg, a Philadelphia plastic surgeon, in a RealSelf Q&A. “It's what I'm here for, and they should feel free to call me at any time.”

Your doctor wants to be aware of your concerns and make sure you’re healing well, so don’t be embarrassed or think you’re bothering them. It’s always better to ask than to wonder—or have a complication that gets worse.

After any surgical procedure, you should have a series of follow-up appointments so your doctor can assess how you’re healing. These are your best opportunities to talk to your doctor about your concerns. 

“If these appointments are not yet scheduled, get them scheduled,” says Dr. Michael Law, a plastic surgeon in Raleigh, North Carolina, in a RealSelf Q&A. “Depending on your [procedure], your plastic surgeon will likely want you to be seen in the office several times in the first week or two after. Always be at your appointments.” 

2) If you want an answer quickly and don’t want to wait for your follow-up appointment, another qualified member of your doctor’s staff—physician’s assistant, nurse, or practice manager—could be more available to answer or to expedite your questions to your doctor. 

You can be persistent and keep following up until your concern is addressed. If you can’t come into the office in person, emailing photos of anything worrisome can help your doctor or their staff assess the level of urgency—and may get your appointment time moved up.

If you can’t get in quickly and have split stitches, an open wound, signs of infection (like pus or redness around an incision), excessive bleeding or a fever over 101ºF, it’s probably time to go to an urgent care clinic. In the case of an emergency, call 911. 

3) If you traveled for your procedure and can’t follow up in person, your doctor’s office should have clear protocols for how they’ll handle follow-up care and questions during your recovery. 

Plastic surgeon Dr. Alejandro Quiroz treats many patients who travel to his clinic in Tijuana, Baja California, so his staff have accommodating aftercare practices to ensure a healthy recovery. They provide extensive aftercare guidelines and offer virtual follow-up appointments. Patients can also contact Dr. Quiroz at any time via phone or email with questions and pictures. 

If patients need in-person follow-up care to remove stitches or drains, your surgeon may recommend a provider in your home city. They can even share your medical records (with your permission). In some cases, it’s up to you to coordinate your own follow-up care with a local surgeon.

It’s smart to ask about your surgeon’s policies during your consultation and to make sure you’re comfortable with the level of aftercare you’ll be getting. If you’re mid-recovery and unclear about their follow-up protocols, don’t hesitate to get on the phone with their office and find out.

4) If your doctor is out of town or otherwise unavailable, their practice should be able to direct your question to another doctor in the practice or an appropriate staff member.

“Every plastic surgeon has someone covering the calls,” says Dr. Allen Gabriel, a plastic surgeon in Vancouver, Washington. “It’s always safe to call the main office number. If it’s after hours, then an answering service should receive the call and route it appropriately.” 

If your doctor has stopped responding, you should still contact their office. “Someone should be able to help with the concern,” says Dr. Gabriel. “If all communication has stopped, attempt to call the main number and ask for help. If it’s an urgent issue, the emergency room may be the next stop.”

It can be stressful waiting for a response, but it’s not normal for a doctor to cut off communication. “An ethical, board-certified plastic surgeon would return your calls and see you promptly,” says Dr. George Marosan, a plastic surgeon in Bellevue, Washington, in a RealSelf Q&A. 

If your procedure happened long enough ago that your doctor is no longer in practice, your best bet is to schedule a consultation with another reputable surgeon who has experience in your procedure.

5) If you’re unhappy with your results, start by discussing your concerns with your doctor. You may not see final results from procedures like rhinoplasty or breast implants for up to a year, but your surgeon should be able to tell whether you’re healing well. They’ll also want to know why you’re unhappy and discuss what, if anything, can be done to improve your results.

“Despite the best efforts of any surgeon, there are patients who won’t achieve their desired results. Most times, when this happens, the surgeon is just as aware of the shortcoming as you are,” explains Dr. Joseph Campanelli, a facial plastic surgeon in Portland, Oregon, in a RealSelf Q&A. “When you bring it up, they likely will not be surprised or offended. A good plastic surgeon wants to know if you are not satisfied.”

Dr. Campanelli recommends having your concerns written down before you arrive at your appointment. Be objective and specific. For example, say, “I don’t like this bump,” rather than “my nose looks terrible.”

“Every surgeon has a great deal invested in the patient and would love the opportunity to address the concerns,” says Dr. Gabriel. “If there is room for improvement, a discussion will take place and appropriate action will follow.”

6) If your doctor says you’re fine but you want a second opinion, find another board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in your procedure and schedule a consultation, with transparency about your previous experience and concerns. If you think you may need a revision surgery, see a surgeon with experience performing revisions of your initial surgery.

“The second [provider] usually will not be able to comment on what was done before, even with records available, since they did not directly see and manipulate your tissue,” says Dr. Michael Schwartz, a facial plastic surgeon in West Palm Beach, Florida, in a RealSelf Q&A. “They should be able to discuss with you the problems you see, point out other areas that you may not be aware of, and discuss steps.” 

“Have your goals clearly in mind and move forward with a surgeon who shares your vision,” suggests Miami plastic surgeon Dr. Rian Maercks in a RealSelf Q&A. “A surgeon who identifies the same issues that are bothering you is more likely to deliver the results you’re after.”

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