Los Angeles Rhinoplasty in Beverly Hills - Revision Rhinoplasty

The Surgical Team

Surgeons don't perform cosmetic-surgery procedures, such as rhinoplasty, alone; they are assisted by a surgical team. The surgeon's team often includes a surgical assistant, a surgical technician, and a person who administers anesthesia. For your safety, it's a good idea to inquire about the credentials of the person administering the anesthesia.

Anesthesia should be administered by either a certified registered nurse anesthetist or a board-certified physician anesthesiologist. These professionals are specifically trained to administer anesthesia and to monitor your well-being during surgery. In the United States, certified registered nurse anesthetists currently administer approximately 65
percent of all anesthetics given to patients each year.

Traveling out of Town or Abroad for Surgery

You may be considering a cosmetic surgeon whose office isn't in your hometown. For instance, you may simply have decided to travel to have your surgery performed by the surgeon of your choosing. On the other hand, you may wish to combine surgery with a vacation, or you may prefer the privacy afforded by having your surgery out-of-town. No
matter what your reasons are, you should be aware that having surgery out of town will require some additional preparations. For example, you may need to make hotel reservations for the initial recovery period following rhinoplasty so that your surgeon can monitor your healing. Note that some surgeons who routinely see out-of-town patients may have staff who are trained to coordinate all your needs.

Questions to Ask the Surgeon

Are you board certified? By which
board(s)?

How often do you perform
rhinoplasty?

Is your surgical facility accredited?

What are the credentials of the
person administering anesthesia?

Traveling out of town for surgery does have its drawbacks. The most important one is that if you develop complications once you are home, you may not be able to go back to your surgeon for treatment in a timely manner. In the rare event that you do develop complications, you may need to coordinate your follow-up care with a local physician. Once again, surgeons who regularly see out-of-town patients may be able to assist you with coordinating any follow-up care needs you may have at home.

If you're considering going abroad for rhinoplasty surgery—whether you're hoping to cut costs on your procedure or you'd like to combine surgery with a foreign vacation—you should be aware of some potential problems. For example, it may be difficult to verify the credentials of both your surgeon and the surgical facility. If you aren't able to verify the education, training, and experience of your surgeon or the safety and quality of the surgical facility, you're taking a risk by consenting to surgery. In addition, if you develop complications, you probably won't be able to fly back to your surgeon for follow-up care.

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