Surgery Risks

Every surgical procedure, no matter how simple, involves some degree of risk. Likewise, there is some element of risk associated with every anesthetic. Risk can be defined not only in terms of possible surgical complications, but also potential disappointments if the result does not match the patient's expectations.

Our goal is to avoid risk or disappointment due to extensive preoperative communication and exchange of ideas during the preoperative consultation. We often use computer imaging as a tool to provide a "blueprint" of a realistic and potentially achievable result.

In general, there are physical risks associated with facial plastic surgery. These are usually minimal. These four basic risks include bleeding, infection, reactions to anesthesia and healing problems resulting in potential scarring. Dr. Putman and his staff employ all available techniques to minimize risk during the procedures that are performed. In addition to submitting to accreditation examination, we are constantly reassessing our performance through quality assurance studies, risk management studies, infection control data, and evaluation of our anesthetic procedures and techniques.

Although quite rare, other potential risks include poor healing results, adverse reactions to medications, injury to nerves and muscles, and others. While these can usually be successfully treated and corrected, Dr. Putman's many years of surgical experience combined with meticulous surgical technique and judgment have allowed him to obtain one of the lowest complication rates in his field.

Some degree of risk is associated with most actions in life. The relatively low risk associated with facial plastic surgery and laser surgery can be weighed against a high degree of patient satisfaction obtained from these procedures. This is part of the reason why facial plastic surgery is becoming so popular today. In the United States alone, more than four million people per year undergo facial plastic surgery to improve their appearance and quality of life through enhanced self-image.