Know Before You Go (Under The Knife)
In the past several years, rhinoplasty was the most commonly-performed facial plastic surgery procedure. A recent article in the Facial Plastic Surgery & Aesthetic Medicine Journal took a dive into “patient recovery and satisfaction with perioperative care after rhinoplasty”.
The research studied a group of 51 participants who underwent functional septorhinoplasty with an average age of 37.8 years old, and the group was divided about equally between men and women. The patients completed an experience questionnaire at their first post-operative visits in an effort to identify factors that impact recovery and overall satisfaction with care.
The results of the study indicated that about 29% of patients felt they weren’t adequately educated pre-operatively or prepared for the surgery; these patients took longer to resume daily activities and had a lower overall satisfaction rate with their post-operative care. “Notably, non-KD (knowledge deficit) patients had significantly greater satisfaction with overall perioperative, preoperative, and surgical care compared with those with a KD”.
Ultimately, this article reinforces the importance of selecting a surgeon with whom you have a good rapport. Patients should feel adequately prepared and educated when making the decision to undergo surgery. During pre-operative visits with me, I have candid discussions with my patients about the risks and benefits for each procedure. I also provide written education for patients to take home, share with family and friends, and to use as a resource for common FAQ. My social media and website are great resources for education on the specific procedures I perform in order to properly prepare patients for surgery.
This journal article shows how essential pre-operative education is for the healing and recovery process. As with any surgery, it’s essential for patients to find surgeon they trust and to develop a strong patient-doctor relationship.
To keep reading, take a look at my article about rhinoplasty FAQ.
Leave a reply