1. Who Is Doing The Surgery?
This is very important. A lot of doctors are secretive about their qualifications. A Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon has been trained specifically to perform this procedure and has been supervised and tested rigorously before being allowed to go out and operate on patients. Can other surgeons perform this procedure? Perhaps, but they have not been trained the same way nor have they observed, assisted and then performed hundreds of these procedures before coming out to practice. When things go smoothly and the case is uncomplicated, you may not notice a difference, but when complex situations arise, you want the properly trained doctor to be the one standing over you.
 2. How Many Of These Has The Surgeon Done?
Most surgeons will gladly tell you if they have done 10 vs 100 vs 1000 of these cases. Some Plastic Surgeons do a lot of noses and are very good at them but have done very few breast reductions. Ask how many they do a year and the last time they did one. You want the surgeon who does the particular procedure the most.
3. Where Will The Scar Be And Are The Scars Permanent?
Different methods and techniques produce different scars. All scars are permanent. While it is true that they will fade over time, they will never disappear completely. You have to be willing to accept the possibility of a visible scar or opt not to have the procedure.
4.  Has he had any complications in the past? Complications are not necessarily a sign of a bad doctor. If you have done a lot of any procedure, over time you will see one or two complications. You would want an honest surgeon operating on you. You also want a realistic idea of what types of complications to expect so you can be prepared.  Too many complications too often, however, may be a red flag.
5. What size will I be in the end? Have a thorough discussion about what size to expect realistically.
Let the surgeon know if you want to be small or still endowed. If  he can’t get you to the exact size you want, would you rather be a little too small or a little too big? This will help the surgeon plan intra-operatively and pre-operatively. You don’t want to wake up surprised!

…To Continued

By – Dr. Emeka Onyewu

(Dr. Onyewu specializes in surgery of the breast, reconstruction, breast lifts, body sculpting using liposuction, and also performs reconstructive procedures to correct deformities or defects, and improve body function.
You can connect with him on LinkedIn ‘Emeka Onyewu MD’, or through Twitter and Instagram @CASSurgery).