For breast augmentation surgery, are before and after photos required?

Sexual trauma, particularly by a medical provider, is unconscionable. The trust between a provider and their patient is sacred and should never be violated. Plastic surgery as a specialty, is more subjective like art. We use photos like your primary care would use your vital signs when you visit them… To track progress and document your result. I think you would find it difficult to find a surgeon that would be willing to perform a surgery without photos.

Thank you for your question. Your feelings and boundaries are valid, especially considering your past experiences. Before-and-after photos are taken to help the surgeon evaluate your results and document the changes after surgery. They are also commonly used (with patient consent) for marketing or educational purposes. However, these photos are not legally required, and their necessity depends on the surgeon’s policies and practices. There are various levels of photo consent that can be offered from full consent to take pictures for their website and social media, to moderate level of consent allowing in-house use of power point presentations to show your results to prospective patients, to the base level of consent allowing only office and medical use only. These photos are typically stored in HIPPA compliant databases and if you ask for no one except your surgeon and office staff to see the photos they will abide by that. During your consultation, let your surgeon know you are uncomfortable taking photos. If photos are part of the surgeon’s usual protocol, ask if they can use detailed written or diagrammatic documentation of your breast dimensions and appearance instead. If a surgeon insists on taking photos despite your clear boundaries, consider consulting another surgeon who is willing to accommodate your request.

Hello, thank you for your question and I am sorry you had this happen to you. I can't speak for every office but the purpose for before and after photos is for medical documentation for your records. There may be an office that would waive the photos with a signed consent, but this would be something you would have to request on an induvial basis. Best of luck! Again, sorry for the trauma this has caused you.