Plastic Surgery Seattle Blog

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons sent out a special bulletin to members today, urging them to voice opposition to the so-called “Botox tax” that was included on the latest healthcare reform bill.

ASPS members were asked to contact their representatives in congress or login at capitolconnect.com to take action.

Who would be affected by this tax?  The society is objecting to it on multiple levels, calling it discriminatory, arbitrary, and a “potential auditing nightmare” due to the often-unclear distinction between cosmetic and reconstructive surgeries.

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1. Be open

Don’t hide your medical history, past procedures, goals or motivations.  Some patients feel as if they need to be defensive during the consultation, which really isn’t necessary.  Just remember that a consultation is just that – there’s no commitment and you can take as much time as you need to consider your options afterward.

Openness and effective communication are important from the first consult all the way through the surgery.  If it’s difficult for you to communicate your goals, use pictures!  You can view our before and after photos or bring examples that you think are appealing.  Better communication about your desires and specific needs will help Dr. Gottlieb ensure that they are met, so use whatever tools you think will help.

2. Be prepared

If there are simple questions that you can’t find answers for on our site, email us before your consultation and we’ll try to respond in a timely manner.  Then if there are more specific facts that you need clarified, your consultation will be the perfect opportunity to do so.  Make a list of questions that are particularly important for you.

Part of being prepared is simply knowing what you want to achieve with cosmetic surgery.  Because many patients research their procedure extensively (sometimes for years) before they schedule an appointment, it is common for us to see people that know exactly what they want.  However, that’s not a requirement; if you are just curious about plastic surgery and want straight answers rather than questionable information from the internet, go ahead and schedule a consultation.

Many people aren’t aware that warranties on silicone breast implants were substantially upgraded this year, but time is running out to take advantage of them.

Schedule your breast augmentation on or before December 31st and you can qualify for the best breast implant warranty ever – offering $3500 in financial reimbursement in the event of an implant rupture.  Even if your implant fails ten years down the road, the manufacturer will pay to help cover costs like anesthesia, facility, and surgery.

Previous warranties offered standard lifetime product replacement and a financial reimbursement of $1200, while the premium warranties covered around $2400. While these reimbursements have always been in place to offset the cost of revision surgery, for the patient they still carry the potential for out-of-pocket expense.

Those considering breast surgery with silicone implants may want to schedule it now rather than next year.  If you want some extra peace-of-mind about the financial risks associated with implant failure, this might be a great way to get it.