As a Patient Care Coordinator for Dr. Chris Assad, I have had the great pleasure of meeting with and following patients through their journey and decision to have Plastic Surgery.

As a woman I understand and can relate to their interests in making a decision for themselves to have a cosmetic procedure such as a Mommy Makeover. As a mom myself of two girls aged 18 and 12 I understand how our bodies can be affected and how it can impact our self-esteem.

Countless hours exercising and diet modifications sometimes just isn’t getting us where we need to be and can be very frustrating. It is a personal choice and I’ve seen first hand how it can be life changing by improving self confidence often leading to new experiences that one might not have partaken in prior to having their cosmetic self improvements and allowing their personalities to shine.

From my experience with our patients and speaking from my own personal perspective, patients expect the following from their Plastic Surgeon:

To Be Heard and Understood

We need the doctor listen to what we want and what our goals are. Some doctors may hear your first comments about what you want to change, then immediately start offering solutions. But we want to be sure they hear and understand what we want for our bodies, not what they think we need.

We need the doctor to understand what is motivating us to make these changes. Once we are heard and understood, at that time we want to be offered different and possibly better solutions.

Time and Patience

I know that the decision to pursue cosmetic treatments or plastic surgery can be a complex one. This decision should seldom be made at the time of the initial consultation.

We encourage our patients to reflect on our discussions in the comfort of your own home. We will send you information detailing the various options we have discussed so that you will have all the information you need from us, plenty of time to consider all your options, and the opportunity to discuss it with your family and friends if you choose to.

You will have the opportunity to contact some of our patients who have undergone similar procedures. They would be happy to talk to you about their experiences under our care.

For those who decide to go ahead with surgery, or for those who simply have more questions, a second visit will be scheduled to review the plan and answer your questions.

This is a big decision for most patients and its important for us to feel 100% ready before making a decision. Multiple visits are always an option and in some cases it may not necessarily involve meeting with the surgeon each time. We may simply want to come in with a friend or family member to view some pre and post images of some of our previous patients. Breast Augmentation patients for example, may wish to come in and try on different implants and perhaps take sample implants home with them.

It’s very important to patients that they feel comfortable asking questions. There is no such thing as asking too many questions! That is what the initial consultation is for. Here in Dr. Assad’s office, we encourage patients to ask until every question you have is thoroughly answered.

Knowing What To Expect

I find patients are very well informed and prefer to educate themselves prior to coming in for their initial consultations. For this reason I have outlined what you can expect from your first consultation with Dr. Assad as follows:

During your consultation with Dr. Assad, he will review your medical history and ask about your cosmetic goals. It is helpful to be direct. He will want to know exactly what bothers you, so that he can direct the consultation and specifically address your concerns. Dr Assad will listen to your concerns about your appearance and then work with you to address those concerns.

After examination, he will take the time to describe your options in detail. If agreed that a surgical procedure is appropriate, he will show you drawings and photographs of the operation. He may even draw the proposed operative markings on your body so that you can see exactly where any scars will be.

You will also have a chance to talk to me after your consult with Dr Assad regarding the details you need to know to make sure you are fully prepared for your procedure.

If you choose to undergo surgery or other procedures with us, you will be embarking on a long-term relationship during which we will continue to care for your appearance and your health for as long as you need us. After surgery, we will continue to see you for routine follow-up visits for as long as you care to return.

If you are interested in contacting me for more information or if you have any questions please feel free to reach out to me directly: [email protected] or call (905) 315-9994.