Choosing Your Liposuction Surgeon: Informed Consent
A very important part of your
liposuction procedure, and the
preparation up to the liposuction surgery, is that you have something called
informed consent.
“Informed consent is more than simply getting a patient to
sign a written consent form. It is a process of communication between a patient
and physician that results in the patient's authorization or agreement to undergo
a specific medical intervention.”
When you are discussing your procedure and the plan for your
liposuction surgery, it is critical that your doctor explain exactly what will
happen, what the risks are and what type of complications may arise. In fact,
any doctor that you visit, is responsible for communicating in such a way that
when you give consent, you are aware of all the options and are, in fact, truly
informed.
One of the tricky aspects of a
liposuction procedure like this is that
you don’t know what you don’t know. You may not know what the doctor should be
discussing with you, or what kinds of risks and complications are possible that
you need to ask about. Learning about this is part of your responsibility in
being an informed patient before a liposuction procedure.
As with any surgical procedure, there are risks and
complications that are possible. There are risks associated with excessive liposuction
as well as risks associated with regular
liposuction and with any kind of
anesthesia, whether local or general. If you are planning on having multiple
procedures, it is especially important that you understand exactly what will
happen and that what you are doing is truly safe and healthy. Informed consent also includes practical
information, for example there are medications you should avoid prior to and
post surgery and finally, your doctor should ensure that you are in good health
and are truly a good candidate for liposuction.
So use our helpful list of questions to make sure you
understand what will be happening when you get
liposuction and what
your risks are.
Questions to Ask About: Informed Consent
- Has the surgeon provided information about the nature and
risks of liposuction complications?
- Does the informed consent form explain the risks associated
with every large volume, or total body liposuction or the
dangers of prolonged exposure to anesthesia?
- Does the informed consent form describe the risks of doing
liposuction at the same time as other unrelated surgical procedures?
- Does the surgeon provide an Informed Consent Form
guaranteeing that the surgeon will not do liposuction on any body area without
your explicit written approval?
- If you are considering liposuction under general anesthesia
or under heavy IV sedation, then does the surgeon provide a written statement
that includes
- name of the surgeon(s) who will
perform the liposuction surgery
- assurance that no other surgeon
will participate in the surgery while you are asleep.
- Does the surgeon have a written policy regarding fees
required for and surgical corrections or touch-up procedures?
- Has the surgeon explained the risk of combining tumescent
liposuction and giving the patient a significant volume of intravenous fluids?
Originally Published May 4, 2012
