The Financial Ramifications of Bad Plastic Surgery

Some people see plastic surgery as less serious than other kinds of surgery. That is unwise so because surgery is surgery. There is always a chance for plastic surgery to go wrong because there is always a chance for surgery to go wrong. As such, interested individuals need to minimize their chances of experiencing bad plastic surgery because it can make an already expensive process much more so.

What Are the Costs of Plastic Surgery?

By default, plastic surgery isn’t cheap. WebMD says that it is normal for a plastic surgeon’s fee to cost hundreds of dollars and even thousands of dollars. For example, the fee for Botox averaged $466 in the United States in 2020. Meanwhile, the fee for a facelift averaged $8,005 in the same country in the same year. Please note that this is just the plastic surgeon’s fee. If WebMD is correct, the total bill can be 50 to 100 percent higher with anesthesia, materials, and other costs included. Under these circumstances, it is no wonder that people sometimes seek out financing for their plastic surgery.

The story gets worse. These numbers are averages. Interested individuals might have to pay much higher prices for various reasons. For example, they might live somewhere with a higher cost of living, meaning everything is more expensive. Alternatively, they might live somewhere with a small number of plastic surgeons, meaning they can’t pick and choose with the same ease. Certainly, people can lower the price of plastic surgery by looking for a better price. The issue is that plastic surgery is one of those things for which choosing the lowest-price option can be a bad idea. In particular, it increases people’s chances of experiencing bad plastic surgery.

How Can Bad Plastic Surgery Cause People to Waste Their Money?

First, someone who paid for bad plastic surgery might have wasted their money. If they are lucky, they look the way they wanted. In that case, said individual won’t have wasted their money, though they will still need to handle whatever complications made the process a negative experience. Meanwhile, the unlucky will have experienced unintended changes to their appearance. That means they will have wasted their money. Even worse, they will have to pay for more procedures to fix their appearance, assuming that is possible. Life & Style mentions that Linda Evangelista lost her career when plastic surgery caused the fat cells in her face to multiply.

How Can Bad Plastic Surgery Cause Healthcare Costs?

Second, the potential complications of plastic surgery can do real damage to a person’s well-being. To name an example, Healthline describes infection as a common threat for people who have undergone surgery, so much so that it happens in 2 to 5 percent of procedures involving incisions. That makes sense because surgery creates opportunities for microorganisms to bypass many of the body’s defenses. Yes, surgeons and other staff are supposed to maintain clean environments. In real life, statistics make it clear that what should be isn’t necessarily what is. According to ABC, the CDC says that health professionals are failing to clean their hands as much as they should.

In any case, this matters because a health problem means healthcare costs. Debt.org has some horrifying numbers for the United States. Reportedly, a single day’s healthcare averaged $2,607 in the United States. Even if we look at the two cheapest states, the numbers are still $1,383 for Wyoming and $1,606 for Iowa. Staying overnight causes the numbers to skyrocket to an average of $11,700 throughout the country. In other words, being hospitalized means a high chance of someone becoming bankrupt in the United States. The situation is better though still unpleasant for people in other developed countries because U.S. residents pay disproportionately high costs for healthcare, according to Harvard.

How Can Bad Plastic Surgery Cause Disruptions to People’s Lives?

Third, these issues can disrupt various aspects of people’s lives. Livelihoods are no exception to this rule. For instance, if someone is in the hospital, their condition is bad enough that they can’t continue working. Indeed, they might not be able to return to work until sometime after they have left the hospital because outpatients are a thing. Unsurprisingly, this can be devastating for people’s careers.

Even worse, the potential complications of plastic surgery can permanently reduce someone’s ability to do their job. As mentioned earlier, Linda Evangelista lost her career. However, even when people aren’t supermodels, their self-confidence can plummet when they feel marred. That has a real impact on most people’s ability to interact with other people, which extends far beyond their professional lives. Similarly, people aren’t guaranteed to recover 100 percent from their health problems. It isn’t uncommon for people to suffer a permanent loss of ability when badly hurt. Just because an injury comes from bad plastic surgery, that doesn’t make it any less real.

What Are the Issues With Seeking Compensation For Bad Plastic Surgery?

Of course, people who have undergone bad plastic surgery might be able to seek compensation from the plastic surgeon. The issue is that this has other complications. For instance, people can’t expect everything to resolve in their favor right away. Business Insurance reports that most medical malpractice claims end with out-of-court settlements. Even so, that can take months or years to happen. Besides this, people will need legal representation for the best results. That can mean further costs.

What Are Some Signs You Have Chosen a Bad Plastic Surgeon?

People who experience bad plastic surgery often blame their plastic surgeons. Sometimes, this is reasonable. Other times, not so much. After all, surgeons aren’t gods. As a result, surgeons can’t control surgical outcomes with 100 percent precision. Still, interested individuals need to watch out for bad plastic surgeons because those are a real threat.

According to CBS, here are some telltale signs of bad plastic surgeons:

Lack of Credentials

Most people wouldn’t trust a contractor without credentials to work on their home. They should be even more cautious when it comes to the people who work on their bodies. If nothing else, a botched job involving their home tends to be more survivable than a botched job involving their body.

Interested individuals should avoid any plastic surgeon without the right credentials. One surgeon isn’t guaranteed to have the same skills as another surgeon because their jobs require them to specialize. That means a plastic surgeon without the right credentials isn’t a plastic surgeon. On a related note, an organization isn’t necessarily trustworthy just because it claims to be. In the United States, people should check for certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Other countries have other organizations.

Lack of Hospital Privileges

Hospital privileges are critical for a couple of reasons. One, they show trust in the plastic surgeon’s skills. Two, they allow the plastic surgeon to use the hospital’s facilities. A plastic surgeon without hospital privileges might be a bad plastic surgeon. Alternatively, they have yet to prove themselves. Either way, interested individuals should look elsewhere.

Dubious Sales Tactics

Dubious sales tactics are always a bad sign. Some sales tactics are always questionable regardless of the good or service sold. Other sales tactics are questionable for some things but not for others. People should watch out for both when choosing a plastic surgeon.

For starters, it is normal for people to discuss their options with their plastic surgeons. Most people wouldn’t know the full range of options available to them, so it makes sense for them to consult an expert on the matter. The issue is when plastic surgeons go from talking about potential alternatives to forcefully recommending more plastic surgeries and more expensive plastic surgeries. In the latter case, they could be trying to squeeze as much money out of their patient as possible with minimal regard for their patient’s well-being.

Similarly, plastic surgeons who make extravagant promises aren’t necessarily the best plastic surgeons. As mentioned earlier, no surgeon can control surgical outcomes with 100 percent precision, meaning a reliable one will be upfront about the potential for complications. Those who make extravagant claims are unreliable. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they can’t do a good job, but it certainly doesn’t inspire any confidence in their ability to do so.

Some sales tactics are fine for selling other goods and services but not for plastic surgeries. For example, discounts are great for most goods and services. Unfortunately, they are much more questionable for plastic surgeries and anything else involving the body. People get what they pay for, so they need to be careful about pursuing the lowest-cost option when it comes to these things. Another example would be claims of innovative techniques and technologies. Plastic surgery is a fast-changing field. The issue is that the latest methods aren’t necessarily the most reliable methods.

Bad Consultation

The consultation is one of the most critical steps when people seek out either plastic surgery or any other medical procedure. They don’t know the facts needed to make an informed decision for themselves. As a result, they are supposed to get the facts from a trustworthy professional, thus empowering themselves to do so. If someone gets rushed through consultation, they know right then and there that they should head elsewhere. This is the part of the process when they learn what they can expect, what they are risking, and whether they are even a good candidate for plastic surgery. On top of that, they are supposed to ask any questions they still have. When plastic surgeons can’t be bothered to provide this information, they are irresponsible.

Bad Results

Bad results are another sign for interested individuals to stay away. One or two malpractice lawsuits don’t necessarily mean that a plastic surgeon is unreliable. Complications happen even when plastic surgeons do everything they are supposed to. However, a high number of malpractice lawsuits is much more concerning. The plastic surgeon may be just unlucky, but the plastic surgeon may also be doing things wrong. Besides malpractice lawsuits, people should also check for censures and reviews. Censures are a clear sign that the plastic surgeon is doing something wrong. Meanwhile, bad reviews mean low patient satisfaction, which can come from bad results and other issues.

What Are Some Other Potential Complications of Plastic Surgery?

Unfortunately, even when people choose a reliable plastic surgeon, they can still experience complications. Sometimes, people have an unexpected reaction to anesthesia. For instance, someone can retain awareness under anesthesia. The lucky ones have a very vague recollection. In contrast, the unlucky ones are fully-aware but unable to move, which is traumatizing for obvious reasons. The phenomenon is rare, but it is nonetheless a thing that can happen. Other potential complications range from bleeding and scarring to numbness caused by nerve damage.

Ultimately, the Mayo Clinic stresses that people need a clear idea of what is to come when they head in for plastic surgery. One, they need to know what they can and can’t expect in outcomes. Two, they need to know the potential complications plus how those potential complications can impact their lives. Three, they need to be in good medical condition. That means having any chronic medical conditions under control. Furthermore, that means avoiding certain substances.

A reliable plastic surgeon will guide interested individuals through every single one of these things so they can make the best choice for themselves. Anyone either unable or unwilling to do so is unreliable or worse. Plastic surgery is a huge step, so people must take the appropriate precautions to protect themselves.