Where to have your plastic surgery done?

Hospitals, outpatient plastic surgery center or a doctor’s office?

Depending on the type of plastic surgery procedure as well as the patient’s specific needs and plastic surgeon’s recommendations, there are three kinds of locations where plastic surgery can be performed. Plastic surgeries can take place in a hospital, an outpatient surgery center or at the plastic surgeon’s office itself. The three options present different advantages and disadvantages to the potential plastic surgery patient and it is important to know exactly what they are before deciding on a plastic surgery procedure.

Hospitals are generally presented as an option for patients planning to undergo a major plastic surgery procedure. Hospitals have the facilities to provide general anesthesia and are fit for procedures where the patient is required to stay overnight. They are well staffed and have other medical services close at hand in case the need arises prior, during or after plastic surgery. However, hospital-based surgeries can be a costly affair with charges coming from a multitude of sources including not just the plastic surgeon’s fees but operating theatre rental, staff related costs, anesthesiology costs and possible overnight charges.

Outpatient plastic surgery centers, or as they are often called, same-day surgery centers, are facilities where patients who do not require an overnight stay after plastic surgery. They are becoming ever more popular as these centers often have more comfortable and luxurious surroundings, especially compared to hospitals, and as a large number of plastic surgery procedures are outpatient surgeries they eliminate the need to pay for extra fees in the hospital. The disadvantage of outpatient surgery centers is that they are not as well regulated as hospitals.

A third option available for potential plastic surgery patients is the plastic surgeon’s office. There are a number of procedures that can be performed under local anesthesia in the plastic surgeon’s office itself, such as the much requested laser eyelid surgery procedure. The plastic surgeon’s office usually means dramatically lower costs for the patient. Unfortunately, not all plastic surgery procedures can be performed at the plastic surgeon’s office. Ultimately, your plastic surgeon should be able to help choose the best option for your particular plastic surgery.

Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Dr. Warren Lent is double board certified and happy to carry out numerous plastic surgery procedures in his office.