Can you explain the difference between the consultation and the pre-op appointment and what is accomplished during both visits?

Thank you for your question, Dan8595! At your consultation the doctor will hear all of your concerns and discuss with you your best options. Once a surgery or surgeries are decided upon you will pick a surgery date. Prior to that surgery date you’ll be required to have a preop clearance as well as bloodwork from your primary care physician. Once those are obtained and you are cleared for surgery you will come in for a preop appointment which will go over all of the clearance information, bloodwork, any medical history, and any medications you currently take. This is important to ensure your safety for the procedure. At this preop appointment you will also be informed on what you should do up until your procedure and how to take care of yourself after your procedure. They will go over any postop medications you’ll be taking and discuss what you will be expecting as your healing. They will also use this time to answer any questions that you might have. Preop appointments are very important to ensure that patients are fully aware of what to expect and have everything that they need to be prepared for their surgery, and for after their surgery. We do provide E- consultations through our website, if this is something that you’re interested in! Best of luck to you.

Thank you for your question.  Different offices may do things a little differently when it comes to your consultation & pre op. Primarily, at your consultation you will meet the doctor, see if the doctor is a good fit for you, go over your goals, how to obtain said goals, cost and scheduling your surgery.  This process may take more than one consultation.  Pre OP is done before your surgery to finalize paperwork, payment and go over pre & post op instructions.  We break it up so the processing isn't overwhelming and you feel confident in your decisions.  First objective is to identify what procedure(s) will give you the end result you desire that fits into your budget and lifestyle. Your expectations and health will dictate the best procedure(s) for you. I suggest a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon to go over the options that best address your goals.  Best of luck!
Dr Dhaval Patel
Double Board Certified
Plastic Surgeon
Chicago
Hoffman Estates 
Oakbrook 
Orland Park

The answer to this question will depend not only upon the protocols of the board certified PS, but also on his/her experience, education, training and staff.  A consultation in my PS practice includes the following:  upon arrival, spend a few minutes filling out forms documenting the procedures in which you are interested, what you want to change about your body and why, and your past and current medical history. One of my nurses reviews the responses, escorts you to an exam room and asks if you have any questions to ask her.  The nurse leaves to summarizes your paperwork to the PS who will meet you in a few minutes. A "Q and A" period begins to determine how you want to change your body and the recommended procedures for you to reach your goals.  The PS will determine if you are a good candidate for the recommended procedures based on the exam and your medical history. Type of anesthesia, safety of the accredited surgery center, typical recovery, risks and complications, and any other concerns you may have maybe discussed.  The PS will then walk you to the patient coordinator's office where she will explain the costs, financing, scheduling, cancellation policy, etc.  If you book that day, pre-op instructions will be provided along with prescriptions, and lab test requirements.  If you do not book that day, the patient coordinator will follow up with you in a few days to determine if you have additional questions or concerns.During the pre-op visit, which usually occurs a day or two before surgery, lab test reports are reviewed, the type of anesthesia is explained, any remaining questions you have about the surgery or recovery will be answered, instructions for the person responsible for picking you up after surgery, follow-up appointments, traveling, consent forms, exercise during recovery, diet, etc. will be discussed. You want to make sure you and your PS concur with the procedures to be performed.  If you want to add any procedures to those already scheduled, payment and consent forms will be updated.

Dear Dan8595,That is a great question. I can only give you background in how things work in my office. Consultation involves a history, physical assessment, review of before and afters, answering general surgical questions, and receiving a quote. A pre-operative consultation is much more detailed. The patient has placed a deposit for surgery and has a surgical date. Their medical clearance is reviewed, the surgical plan is reviewed in detail, prescriptions are given, and any other questions are answered. Hope this helps,Nirmal R. Nathan, M.D.

o   Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery

o   Member, American Society of Plastic Surgeons

o   RealSelf Top Doctor

I think this is a great question. I believe the consultation is an opportunity for the patient and surgeon to meet, get to know a little about each other and decide if this relationship is a good fit. I am a big believer in “gut feelings “. This is the time to honestly discuss your medical and surgical history. Ask about the options for your desired results. Does the surgeon listen to you? Are you comfortable with the responses to your questions? Does the surgeon explain what can and cannot be performed? It is also an opportunity for the surgeon to decide if he wants to accept you as a patient. What are your expectations? Are they unrealistic? Will you follow post operative instructions? Do you understand the potential complications? Did the surgeon explain them clearly? I always examine patients during this visit, but rarely take photos. This I reserve for the pre-op visit. 
The post-op visit is made after you have decided you and your surgeon are on the “same page”. We again discuss the procedure in detail and answer questions about the procedure and post operative recovery. The consent forms are reviewed and signed. I usually email the consent forms to the patient prior to the visit to review so we can discuss anything questions that arise (I use ASPS consent forms). I always give the patient a copy of the consent form to take home for their records. During this visit I take multiple photos from different angles.  Prescriptions are sent to the pharmacy. The patient then sits with my surgical coordinator where more procedure specific instructions are reviewed.
This is my approach. Every surgeon has their own style. I wish you luck and success in your journey.

Thank you for your question. In the initial consult, the surgeon in our clinic discusses with the patients about their history, regions of concerns, expectations and desires, and performs a detailed physical examination. High-quality medical photographs should also be obtained. The surgeon also gives patients some general information about the surgical procedures, and answers their questions.During the pre-op appointment, the surgeon will measure the patient’s height and weight, and calculate their BMI. The detailed instructions about surgical schedule, early post-operative plan, recovery time, pain control, bruising, and postoperative changes will be given. Any remaining concerns will also be discussed in this visit. Best regards.

Every patient is different, just like ever board certified plastic surgeon is different. The initial consultation is to help your board certified plastic surgeon understand your cosmetic goals. Your PS will help you create a plan, answer any questions, and make any suggestions. The pre-op visit is to prepare you for the cosmetic procedure you and your board certified plastic surgeon planned. 
Respectfully, 
Arian Mowlavi MD, FACS
Realself 100 Hall of Fame Inductee

Each  surgeon does things a little differently. During a consultation I typically try to accomplish the following things. Making assessment of my patient which includes a physical examination. Discuss procedure options and alternatives. Review potential results for that individual patient including reviewing before and after pictures. Review my background and what I have to contribute and what makes me unique for this particular procedure. Discussed risks and benefits. Go over the procedure itself and recovery as well as postoperative Appointments.
As you know there’s a lot to review during a consultation. Mine typically take an hour or longer. During a preop appointment we generally go over questions the patient may have, confirm the procedure including specific goals or concerns the patients have and review recovery one more time. The preop appointment is also a time we give out prescriptions for medications to take after the procedure.
I often spend enough time during the consultation to thoroughly cover everything. It’s rare patients have not had all their questions addressed thoroughly. Because of this we often don’t have pre-op appointments but they are always available to anyone who has further questions or wishes to meet again. It is always better to review things thoroughly before surgery.
This is especially true when things are not straightforward or someone may not be a great candidate for a procedure. Setting expectations correctly is paramount and maintaining high quality patient satisfaction.
For these reasons I do not recommend people have virtual consultations. In person consultations are less likely at missing important information.
Plastic surgeons approach both consultations and preoperative visits differently.
And in person consultation is a great time to help differentiate and help choose the best provider. It gives the patient an opportunity to look at as many before and after pictures as they want to. This is a great time to find out if a provider really doesn’t have the experience they may claim to of had And in person consultation is a great time to help differentiate and help choose the best provider. It gives the patient an opportunity to look at as many before and after pictures as they want to. This is a great time to find out if a provider really doesn’t have the experience they may claim to of had. If you can’t show a lot of before and after pictures you may not have very many good results or may not have done a certain procedure very many times. There is still very talented surgeons and all of us have to start our carrier at some point.
The patients responsibility is to find the best provider for their needs.
In some ways a preop appointment is a repeat of a consultation. Generally less emphasis on deciding what procedure to have and more emphasis on the particulars of the procedure and recovery.
Some plastic surgeons will take preop pictures during the preop visit.
Surgery can be intimidating and anxiety provokingmeeting with patients in person can alleviate some of these concerns. This is the time to have honest and clear communications which helps guide the process especially if things turn out not exactly the way patients had anticipated.

Best,
Mats Hagstrom MD