Choosing a Plastic Surgeon is an important consideration, as plastic surgery covers both aesthetic as well as medical aspects. The medical aspect of plastic surgery involves reconstruction, restoring form and function. This can be secondary to cancer, injury, or a congenital condition.
What Plastic Surgery Covers
Reconstructive work includes breast reconstruction after cancer and reconstruction after the removal of skin, head and neck, abdominal, pelvic, and limb cancers. It also includes facial reconstruction after facial nerve palsy and lymphoedema surgery.
Aesthetic work covers the breast, body, and face, including breast lift, abdominoplasty, liposuction, eyelid surgery, and rhinoplasty. Breast surgery includes augmentation, lift, reduction, and gynaecomastia surgery. Skin surgery includes the removal of skin lumps, cysts, and lipomas, skin cancer surgery, and scar revision.
Plastic surgery is performed for both adult and paediatric patients. A plastic surgeon consultation at WC Ong Plastic Reconstructive Surgery in Singapore covers reconstructive and aesthetic surgery of the breast, body, face, and skin.
Accreditation and Training
A plastic surgeon in Singapore should be accredited by the Ministry of Health and listed on the Specialist Register of the Singapore Medical Council.
Plastic surgery training follows a long route. After accreditation as a plastic surgeon, there is often further training or fellowships in a particular subspecialty. Further experience can be obtained from fellowships at overseas centres.
The First Consultation
A first consultation generally begins with history-taking and examination. Current medication, including blood-thinning medication and supplements, is reviewed as part of the history. For some procedures, imaging such as an ultrasound or CT scan may be required before surgery is planned.
Discussion then proceeds to a plan to meet the medical needs as well as the patient’s preference. Not all individuals require the same procedure or combination of procedures. Potential complications may also be discussed.
Procedures are sometimes combined, such as a breast lift with breast augmentation, or abdominoplasty with liposuction. Suitability is assessed at consultation.
Anaesthesia and Day Procedures
Removal of skin lumps and cysts is usually performed as a day procedure under local anaesthetic. A topical anaesthetic cream is applied before local anaesthetic injection. Eyelid surgery is often performed as a day procedure under local anaesthesia.
A breast lift is usually performed as a day surgery procedure under general anaesthesia. Abdominoplasty is performed under general anaesthesia.
Preparing for Surgery
Blood-thinning medication such as aspirin and ibuprofen, and some supplements, may need to be stopped before surgery. Any change to medication is made on medical advice.
Before surgery under general anaesthesia, smoking and other forms of nicotine are avoided for 4 to 6 weeks. Nicotine can hinder the healing process. Food and liquids are stopped six hours before general anaesthesia.
Fees and Claims
Once a treatment plan has been finalised, financial counselling is usually done. Fees are communicated and estimated costs are provided before treatment.
Procedures performed for cosmetic reasons are generally not claimable. Where a procedure is performed for medical reasons, claims are assessed on a case by case basis.
Eyelid surgery may be performed for a medical reason where heavy, drooping upper eyelids affect the field of vision. Rhinoplasty may be considered medical when it is done to correct a breathing difficulty.
After Surgery
Recovery time depends on the type and extent of the procedure performed. Down time for recovery after skin lump removal is about 1 to 2 weeks. After a breast lift or abdominoplasty, down time is about two weeks, and strenuous activity is avoided for 4 to 6 weeks.
Follow-up consultations monitor healing. Advice on wound care is given, and medication is provided to help manage pain and swelling. Guidance on scar management is given at subsequent clinic reviews.
A support bra is worn after a breast lift, and compression garments are worn for up to six weeks after abdominoplasty. Outcomes vary between individuals.
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