Plastic or cosmetic surgery can be a life-changing decision and SK Clinic understands that your goal is to achieve a positive and natural outcome. SK Clinic wants you to be comfortable and confident with your decision, which is why we’ve compiled this list of Questions to Ask Before You Consider Plastic Surgery.

Questions to ask yourself:

• What are my main reasons and motives for changing the way I look?
• What are the specific features of my appearance that I want changed?
• Do I have realistic expectations about the results of the surgery?
• How will this change affect my family, work, travel and friends?
• What time period in my life will work best so that I have the greatest chance for a successful recovery?
• Do I have any concerns or questions that my health care provider should know about?

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, potential patients can use this checklist as a guide during your consultation:

• Are you certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery?
• Are you a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons?
• Were you trained specifically in the field of plastic surgery?
• How many years of plastic surgery training have you had?
• Do you have hospital privileges to perform this procedure? If so, at which hospitals?
• Is the office-based surgical facility accredited by a nationally- or state-recognized accrediting agency, or is it state-licensed or Medicare-certified?
• How many procedures of this type have you performed?
• Am I a good candidate for this procedure?
• Where and how will you perform my procedure?
• How long of a recovery period can I expect, and what kind of help will I need during my recovery?
• What are the risks and complications associated with my procedure?
• How are complications handled?
• What are my options if I am dissatisfied with the outcome of my surgery?
• Do you have before-and-after photos I can look at for each procedure and what results are reasonable for me?

With Dr. Stephen Krant, you can be certain that you’re in safe hands. He opened SK Clinic, the La Jolla Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Center, in 1976. He has performed thousands reconstructive and cosmetic surgery procedures in San Diego. Dr. Krant is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), and he is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (F.A.C.S.).