How far ahead to schedule a tummy tuck?

Question

42F 5'0" 145lbs I had my first consultation for a tummy tuck today. I was offered one surgery date in May. This makes me wonder how far in advance offices schedule. Does every patient want a December surgery date? If so, is it reasonable to try to find a booking for Dec 2023? I am very naive to this process so be gentle with me!

Stephen T. Greenberg, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question.  Every office books out differently.  There are a lot of things that go into consideration for a Surgeon and his booking schedule.  Depending on if they have a facility within their office, is it being done in the hospital or surgical center, how many cases they do a day, how long the cases take etc.  I would suggest speaking with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon in person, decide who you are comfortable with and move forward with booking with them.  Best of luck to you.

Moises Salama, MD · Answer

Thanks for your question. Every practice has different surgery dates available because it all depends on how busy they are. If you're looking to book for December 2023, my suggestion would be to try to schedule your surgery as soon as possible in order to secure the date. Hope this helps. Please always consult with a board certified plastic surgeon. 
Dr. Moises Salama, board certified plastic surgeon.

Leila Kasrai, MD, FRCSC · Answer

It depends on the schedule of the surgeon. Some surgeons may not have availability, while others may. You may be able to find a booking in December, however it would be best to choose a surgeon who you trust rather than just choosing one based on their schedule.

Daniel Barrett, MD · Answer

Dear Pretty Please,
mos surgeons have planned surgeries months ahead. If you are considering surgery, I would suggest you consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination, you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Ronald J. Edelson, MD · Answer

Different surgeons have different wait times but that should not be interpreted as meaning the surgeon with the longer wait time is a better surgeon. ( although I know they want you to think that)  if you really want that surgeon and are willing to wait, you should wait. In the mean  time there’s nothing wrong with seeing other doctors.

Camille Cash, MD · Answer

Surgery schedules vary greatly by surgeon.  Some surgeons may have availability within as little as a few weeks, while others it may be several months for an opening.  If you have a specific time frame when you'd like to have surgery I encourage you to book it sooner rather than later.

Connie Hiers, MD, FACS · Answer

Some surgeon's offices routinely schedule elective cosmetic cases several months out so they have room for more urgent surgeries. Some surgeons are really that busy and several months out is the first opportunity they have.  Some surgeons choose to do only a specific number of certain cases per month.  You might check with another surgeon.

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

Surgery scheduling varies wildly among different practices and providers.
Highly sought after providers who limit their work week may have a waiting period of six months before even having a consultation. I’ve heard of plastic surgeons who have a two-year waiting period for surgery.
That said surgical scheduling is a bit of a dynamic and fluid process that tends to change regularly.People change their minds, things happen and patience sometimes need to change their schedule and openings become available.
There are plenty of plastic surgeons who have open practices with availability for surgery any day of the week as well.
Generally highly sought-after providers tend to have a reputation that drives a loyal following. Sometimes the reputation is directly related to talent and sometimes it’s not.
For example plastic surgeons who do regular television appearances tend to be very good at South promotion but this has no correlation with surgical skills.
There are extremely talented surgeons who do not spend any effort whatsoever promoting themselves and are relatively unheard of by the public at large.
The busiest time for cosmetic surgery tends to be spring time and there’s always a small uptick around the holidays for individuals wanting to take advantage of time off for recovery. right after the holidays and in the fall Kansas to be a little slower but this also depends a lot on certain procedures.
Liposuction and breast implants tend to be spring oriented procedures but these are generalizations.
Scheduling may be important but it is not nearly as important as choosing the right provider in regards to skill and experience.
I recommend all patients have multiple in person consultations to help find the most skilled and experienced provider.
During each consultation ask each provider to open up their portfolio and show their entire collection of before and after pictures.
Being shown a handful of preselected pictures which most likely represent the best results of the providers career is insufficient to get a clear understanding of what the average results look like in the hands of each provider. for this reason patients should ask the provider to show as many pictures as they are willing to specifically asking to see examples of excellent outcomes, average outcomes and less than outcomes.
I highly recommend prospective patients bring pictures of their own torso and undergarments similar to how plastic surgeons take before and after pictures to use as a reference.
 You should then ask the provider to show as many pictures as possible of patients who have similar body characteristics to your own.
An experience provider should have no difficulty showing you at least 50 sets I’ll before and after pictures. Highly experienced surgeons will have hundreds or even thousands of before and after pictures of commonly performed procedures.
It’s definitely a good idea to ask providers about revision rates even asking to see examples of patients who ended up needing revisions and what they look like. You should have a clear understanding of what their policy is regarding revisions if you’re unhappy with the outcome.
When judging providers in the vetting process of finding the best provider I recommend patients first get accustomed to what typical tummy tuck results should look like.
Quality work is usually represented first and foremost by a natural appearing bellybutton and central abdomen. This together with a very low set scar that follows anatomic contours naturally and evenly on both sides are hallmarks of quality work. A talented plastic surgeon will create a balanced and harmonious looking torso from all angles by adjusting the procedure as needed so the entire torso looks good from all angles. for some individuals this may include an extended tummy tuck removing skin laxity all the way to the back or adding Liposuction to contour hips and waist or reduce love handles.
Do not judge surgeons based on what the scar itself looks like since that is more a reflection of how individual people heal and the timeframe in regards to when the surgery was performed. Skin incisions take 12 to 18 months before they are mature and can look unsightly during the first year especially the first three months.
This is often about the same time that patients come in for their follow up appointments and it’s relatively rare for patients to follow up for surgery 18 months after the procedure. For this reason it is not all that common for surgeons to capture after pictures with scars that are in their mature state.
Preferably the scar or incision should be designed to be slightly convex around the mons pubis then follow in the groin crease out to the hips.
A full tummy tuck is that invasive procedure that patients need to be both physically and emotionally prepared for it. The experience can be overwhelming for some and often create an emotional roller coaster.
Results are permanent any reversible. When done poorly it’s often difficult to improve on the outcome.
Patience who are willing to put in the time and effort to properly vent to plastic surgeons to seek out the most talented and experience provider I have the best chances of quality outcomes with a consistent high level of patient satisfaction.
Certain individuals will inherently be better candidates for quality outcomes than others and a talented experienced surgeon will make it clear exactly what kind of results you should expect, what can be accomplished and what cannot be accomplished with each procedure and alternatives.
I recommend patients do not schedule surgery on the date of consultation but rather give themselves time to think about decisions that will change your body permanently. Finish all consultations scheduled before committing to a surgical procedure. When in doubt slow down and schedule more consultations.
The expression do it once do it right comes to mind repeatedly.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom MD

Alejandro Mendez Sashida, MD - Account Suspended · Answer

Hello good day how are you?
The dates will vary between each plastic surgeon, in my case, so that a month before the agreed date is notified, we can schedule the surgery without any problem.
The date you want should be chosen at the time that you feel safest and have time to rest completely in order to obtain the best results from this procedure.

Jeffrey C. Hamm, MD - Account Suspended · Answer

Hi and welcome to our forum!
An individual doctor's schedule depends upon the surgeon's skill, popularity (word of mouth), reputation, advertising, location, the time of year, and the surgeon's desire to be "busy" or "un-busy" (front office scheduling).  If performed in a hospital setting, the hospital's schedule may conflict with the surgeon's schedule adding to the delay. Certified Surgery Centers may be more flexible. Group practices may have shorter waiting times to schedule a procedure.
Yes, 6 months sounds like a relatively long time....but will be worth it!
Best wishes...

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