The staff of Cleveland Clinic's Department of Plastic Surgery encourages you to take a proactive, educated approach to undergoing a cosmetic or reconstructive procedure. Our Patient Guide provides a thorough overview of the entire plastic surgery process — from considering your options to your recovery — that will help you avoid pitfalls of the process.
Our most successful patients are knowledgeable, have reasonable expectations and are opting for plastic surgery to improve their overall self-image. Below are important factors to consider before deciding to undergo plastic surgery:
Before-and-After-Photos
Although before-and-after pictures are a popular advertising technique among many plastic surgery practices, Cleveland Clinic's Department of Plastic Surgery refrains from encouraging patients to expect results exactly like those obtained by others. Because every patient is unique, our Web site provides primarily medical illustrations to provide visitors with a generalized understanding of a procedure. Additionally, we seek to preserve the privacy and dignity of our patients by keeping their identity confidential. And, we recognize that photos fail to provide a complete picture of plastic surgery results, as the texture and firmness of a patient's face and/or body after a procedure is a critical success factor.
Testimonials
Cleveland Clinic's Department of Plastic Surgery refrains from using testimonials from satisfied patients in its marketing efforts or anywhere on its Web site. As a consumer, you should be aware that it would be next to impossible for you to ensure a testimonial is valid. Additionally, every patient's experience is unique and should not be extrapolated into an expectation of your particular experience. For these reasons, the American Society of Plastic Surgery's code of ethics prohibits the use of testimonials in marketing.
Financing
Cleveland Clinic has collaborated with Bank of America to help patients pay for elective procedures over time. A customized financing plan enables you to make monthly payments that fit within your budget. However, we encourage all patients to carefully weigh the benefits of plastic surgery against the drawback of incurring debt. The increase in self-image that may result from plastic surgery must justify the expense of the procedure.
