Choosing the Right Facial Plastic Surgeon is a Matter of Trust

Brookes Pittman, APRN | 02/15/2017

During consultation, we often hear patients say, "when I look in the mirror, I don't recognize the old person in my reflection." A facelift may be the most comprehensive solution to address facial wrinkles and sagging caused by the aging process. It can improve mid face sagging, the appearance of marionette lines around the mouth, jowling, and reduce fullness in the neck. In effect, having a facelift performed can turn back the clock 10-15 years. Now when you look in that same mirror, you might say, " I recognize that beautiful person in my reflection again." Choosing the right surgeon to perform your facelift is very important. Some important considerations include: education, training/certification, experience with facelift procedures, and comfort level with a particular surgeon. After completing medical school and internship, Dr. Garcia completed a 4 year residency in Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery in New York. He subsequently completed a rigorous fellowship in facial plastic surgery. During that time, he authored and presented studies on treatments for the aging lower eyelids and management of facial fractures. Since his training, Dr. Garcia has dedicated his medical practice to the face. Dr. Garcia is double board certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery as well as the American Board of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He has performed tens of thousands facial surgeries, including over 3,000 facelifts. Dr. Garcia is widely considered an expert in the field of facial cosmetic surgery by his patients and the medical community. Another key component in choosing the right surgeon to perform your facelift is your comfort level and emotional connection with that person. Do you trust this person and feel comfortable with him and his support team? Dr. Garcia believes that you should look at the character of your surgeon. Is this surgeon going to be present throughout the process, especially if things do not go as expected? Consultations with Dr. Garcia are informal sessions that allow you and Dr. Garcia to develop a relationship. He will evaluate your areas of concern with the use of photographs and computer imaging when necessary. Other areas evaluated include: your health status, the elasticity of your skin, a discussion of options (including risks or potential complications), the outcome you can anticipate with a facelift, options for anesthesia, how to prepare for surgery, what to expect after surgery, and much more. It is important to note that Dr. Garcia does not charge for his consultations for a simple reason: most practices charge a consultation fee with the condition that the fees of the consultation will be "applied to the cost of surgery." The main reason other practices do this is to dissuade patients from canceling their appointments and so as to not "waste the doctor's time." In our view, charging a patient a consultation fee is a form of coercing them to choose that surgeon and not have a truly free choice of a surgeon. At Contoura Facial Plastic Surgery, our patients are never wasting our time because we are committed to educating and informing our patients about the best treatments that are not only effective but budget conscious. Building a trusting relationship with your surgeon is a multi faceted concept. Dr. Garcia takes this responsibility very seriously. He understands that the decision to undergo a facelift with a particular surgeon is a big one that should always take in to account the surgeon's background, expertise, and overall comfort level. Every good relationship starts with trust. We want our patients to feel confident about their decision to entrust Dr. Garcia with their face. Our goal is to have happy patients when they see their reflection in the mirror! If you have any questions, feel free to call (904) 686-8020 or email [email protected]

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