A face lift surgeon is a medical doctor who performs cosmetic surgery, usually to make a person's face look younger and less wrinkled. Performing this surgery involves many tasks, both before and after the procedure. For example, plastic surgeons typically meet with patients during a consultation to make sure they are healthy enough for such a procedure. They then collaborate with other medical professionals to perform the surgery. After surgery, practitioners usually need to be available to follow up with patients to make sure they are healing properly.
Before a face lift surgeon can perform the procedure, he needs to schedule a consultation with the patient to make sure the person is a good candidate. This means he usually requests that the patient fill out a form regarding his or her health history, including any allergies. He also may perform a physical examination to make sure the patient is in generally good health, or he might request that the patient have his or her primary care physician perform the physical exam. He also may take pictures of the patient's face before surgery for comparison to photos taken afterward. In addition, plastic surgeons typically counsel patients on the risks, side effects and benefits of the procedure, letting them know what to expect during and after surgery.
The average face lift surgeon typically has a team of medical staff helping during the surgery. For example, he may have nurses help prepare patients for this procedure, and an anesthesiologist is typically required to administer general anesthesia if this type of drug will be used. During the face lift, the surgeon is usually in charge of making the incisions that are required to tighten or remove excess tissue. He then typically stitches up the incisions, often adding gauze around the face so the area can properly heal. Not only does a face lift surgeon usually perform this procedure for those who want elective surgery to look younger, but he also may do it to reconstruct the face of a patient after a traumatic accident.
After the procedure, the face lift surgeon usually writes a prescription for pain relievers and makes sure patients have someone to drive them home and care for them during the first few days of recovery. Most plastic surgeons of this type also provide patients with instructions on how to care for the incisions, including what to avoid during recovery. In most cases, patients are instructed to return in about a week for a follow-up appointment to ensure that the face is healing well. If there are any concerns during recovery, then face lift surgeons are expected to meet with patients to help prevent or treat infections, tissue death or other risks of this procedure.
