There are a number of considerations that need to be made prior to surgery
First and foremost, Dr. Belsley believes in being honest with her patients. She wants you to achieve your best aesthetic and health-oriented results. In service of this goal, she will only provide realistic and beneficial surgical opinions.
Dr. Belsley will have a frank discussion about expectations and results. If a specific look is not viable, then she will neither endorse nor recommend. In Dr. Belsley’s practice, breast reductions and breast lifts with implant removals are as important as breast enlargement. Indeed, she considers all of those procedures types of breast enhancement. Most procedures she performs are designed to achieve functionality and proportionality. Dr. Belsley encourages all potential patients to take her recommended and mandatory surgical considerations very seriously before engaging in any elective procedure. These considerations include optimal health, weight, pregnancy, age, post-operative planning, nicotine usage, and the consultation of a primary care physician. Plastic surgery represents an operation with very real benefit and risk. While she can help you improve your quality of life and achieve difficult and desired aesthetic goals, Dr. Belsley’s procedures are a long-term commitment and should be treated as such.
Are you in your optimal health?
Dr. Belsley aims to help you achieve your aesthetic goals with a focus on best practices and a commitment to your overall health and well-being.
In order to achieve this, she pays sharp attention to all the varying systems that contribute to a positive surgical outcome. These varying systems include, but are not limited to, pre-existing medical conditions, weight, and daily habits such as nicotine intake and exercise. These should be taken into strong consideration when broaching one of her procedures. You should also be in consultation with your primary care physician to ensure your body is in its best possible health before beginning what can be an incredibly rewarding and beneficial surgical journey.
Are you thinking about becoming pregnant in the near future?
Pregnancy takes a very real toll on a woman’s body. Because of this, many of Dr. Belsley’s patients seek her services post-pregnancy. Naturally, if you become pregnant in the years following one of Dr. Belsley’s procedures, the results will be affected. Though the level of change or deterioration will vary by woman, the effects may necessitate a second surgery to return to the previously achieved aesthetic goals.
Whether or not to follow through with one of Dr. Belsley’s procedures when considering a future pregnancy is a personal decision, but if you are considering a pregnancy within the two years following a procedure, it may favor you to wait. If unsure, it may be reasonable to proceed.
Are you close to your personal ideal body weight?
An ideal body weight means the weight at which you intend to remain post-surgery.
Achieving and maintaining your ideal body weight before engaging in one of Dr. Belsley’s procedures is essential to maintaining the results of your procedure. Keep in mind, the surgery is performed on the body you have. This means any significant weight gain or weight loss will result in unknown consequences concerning the aesthetic results. Fat distribution varies person by person. The change in distribution resulting from a drastic change in weight will alter the previously achieved cosmetic goals and contouring, leaving the body disproportionate.
Best practice is to always undergo elective cosmetic procedures at the weight you intend to keep. If you are currently overweight, Dr. Belsley may first suggest a medically supervised weight loss program.
Technical and Functional Expertise
Your Initial Consultation
When approaching the initial consultation, you should come prepared with the necessary paperwork, obtained by contacting Dr. Belsley’s office, and ready for a preliminary examination. It may also be beneficial to arrive at the initial consultation having taken your current health into full consideration. This means taking the time to contact your primary care physician, ensuring your mammogram is up to date, and evaluating your current lifestyle and habits critically.
Please be willing to ask as many questions as you need during your consultation and at any time during our relationship together. If I don’t believe I can help, I am comfortable saying so and explaining why.
My goal in this initial consultation is to educate you about both my philosophy on and my approach to the procedure you are seeking, so that you can decide if you would like to work with me to try to achieve your goals.
How does Obesity Impact Plastic Surgery
Obese patients have a much higher incidence of complications. For this reason, Dr. Belsley will suggest a medically supervised weight loss program to patients she considers currently unfit to undergo elective cosmetic surgery. Though obesity presents certain undeniable surgical complications, weight distribution also matters. If your body mass index is within a reasonable range, Dr. Belsley will consider your risk assessment profile at the initial consultation.
For both aesthetic and health reasons, it is optimal to broach one of Dr. Belsley’s surgical procedures while already at your ideal body weight--even for essential medical procedures.
