Getting real with surgery
By Angela Parker Indystar.com 15/08/07
If you’re thinking those laugh lines aren’t so funny anymore or that surgery might be the only way to shed dangerous extra pounds, here’s a tip: Having realistic expectations and determination are requirements for successful cosmetic or bariatric surgery.
For cosmetic surgery patients, realistic expectations are like best friends who tell the truth even when it hurts. Expecting surgery to turn a Phyllis Diller into a Julia Roberts is just not realistic — but expecting to look like a younger version of yourself is totally achievable. Dr. Catherine P. Winslow, FACS, Winslow Facial Plastic Surgery, recommends looking at photographs from 10 years ago to get an idea of what surgery can accomplish.
“Anti-aging surgery is designed to take the years off, not alter the way you look,” Winslow said. “If patients have good expectations, they are going to be pleased with the results. If they have inappropriate expectations, they are going to be unhappy no matter what you do.”
Extensive presurgery counseling with a surgeon or psychologist helps ensure patients have the proper perspective, and it can reveal unhealthy attitudes that would make them poor surgery candidates.
After surgery, patients might experience mild depression early in the healing process. Though they know to expect some swelling, seeing their faces in that condition can be disconcerting.
“A lot of hand-holding is involved in getting patients to the point where they are happy with the results,” Winslow said.
For bariatric surgery patients, determination is the critical element. It’s a mistake to think surgery alone is a cure for obesity. After the initial dramatic weight loss, patients must be determined to keep the pounds off for a lifetime.
“We can deliver a lot of skill and advice and performance. But if the recipient is not going to be a team player, then no matter how good our work is, it’s not going to work out,” said Dr. Samer G. Mattar, medical director, Clarian Bariatric Center.
Ironically, patients must start losing weight six months before surgery. Bariatric surgery risks are about the same as with gall bladder surgery, but obese patients can reduce their risk by changing their diets and shrinking their enlarged livers. This enables the surgeon to maneuver more easily behind it to work on the stomach.
Patients who are unwilling to make this effort likely won’t have the determination to make their surgery a lifelong success.
“The only patient who is not suitable is the patient who is not willing to see me in preparation for surgery,” said Ruthanne M. Hilbrich, RD, nutrition coordinator, Clarian Bariatric Center. “They have to shrink that liver, and if they are not willing to, I postpone their surgery.”
