Every patient who undergoes cosmetic surgery is hoping for the perfect result. Yet, every surgeon knows that unexpected or unfavorable results are inevitable. Any surgeon who claims that he or she has never had an unfavorable result for a particular cosmetic procedure either lacks experience (has not done sufficient numbers of the procedure) or is being untruthful. Either way, you do not want that surgeon. healthren.com

So what if something goes wrong with your surgery? Follow these six steps:

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1. Talk with your surgeon. Be honest and open with your feelings and expect the same from your surgeon. Try to understand what happened and, if possible, why it happened without necessarily assigning blame. Most importantly, make sure you understand what will be done to bring about improvement.

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2. Give yourself time to reflect. Spend some time to reflect upon the reality of the situation. Try not to let emotions such as fear and anger overcome your rational thinking. Remember that you accepted the risk that something could go wrong and agreed to be a partner in working through any problem. Above all, be patient. This is a stressful time for both patient and surgeon. Realize that many problems can resolve in time as healing progresses.

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3. Consider a second cosmetic procedure. If the results do not improve with time, talk with your surgeon about a second procedure. You should discuss in detail the risks, the worse case scenario, the costs and the plan of action if the revision fails. Most surgeons will not charge a fee for revision surgery, but you may be charged a facility and anesthesia fee. You may prefer to ask for a second opinion at this point, which can help alleviate your doubts and provide a valuable new perspective for both you and your surgeon.

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4. Consider finding a new cosmetic surgeon. When trust and communication are lost, the relationship between surgeon and patient breaks down. If this happens you should make every effort to restore communication and trust. If this is not possible, it is time for you to find a new surgeon. You'll need to follow all normal guidelines recommended in choosing a good cosmetic surgeon, plus overcome some surgeons' reluctance to take on patients with problems. Fortunately, however, many excellent surgeons specialize in helping patients with problems and consider this practice the ultimate challenge.
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