Plastic surgery offers you many possibilities for increasing your personal satisfaction with your body. It can be easy to get excited about what plastic surgery can do, but you need to proceed thoughtfully through the process of deciding to undergo an elective surgery. Your consultation with your plastic surgeon is a crucial time to communicate your concerns, goals, and have all of your questions answered to your satisfaction.

As you begin to search for a plastic surgeon, use the following list of questions as an aid to help you reach a decision.

What results can I expect from my plastic procedure? No matter which plastic procedure you are considering, you need to be given a clear idea of what a plastic surgeon can accomplish with your body.

How many times do you perform this procedure every year? You would ask this regarding your specific procedure to gauge the experience of the plastic surgeon.

How many years have you been specializing in plastic surgery? This question will also help you assess the experience of the plastic surgeon.

What are your educational credentials and training? Ideally you are looking for a plastic surgeon who has been specifically trained in plastic surgery during residency after medical school.

What will my recovery be like? In relation to your specific procedure you need to find out how long you can expect recovery to take and what limitations on your activities will be necessary. This information is very important to know when you need to take time off from work.

What are the risks of my plastic surgery? Any surgery presents a chance for complications like infection or bleeding. You should seriously consider any possible risks and their consequences for you. Your potential plastic surgeon should be willing to discuss them.

Where will the surgery take place? You will want to know if your surgery will be at a hospital, surgeon's office, or outpatient surgery center. Any of these locations can be appropriate depending on your procedure.

Who will administer anesthesia? This question is particularly important if you will need to have general anesthesia during your procedure.

What will my procedure cost? There is no need to be shy about discussing the cost. Your plastic surgeon should be forthright about the cost of his or her services. Be sure to get an estimate of total costs, including lab work and follow up visits so you will not have any budgetary surprises after your surgery.

What will happen during my surgery? Your plastic surgeon should be willing to explain the technical details of your surgery. You have a right to know what will be done to your body.

These questions are not an exhaustive list of what you may want to discuss with your plastic surgeon, but they are a good starting point for understanding the many issues that you need to assess when selecting a plastic surgeon. In addition to basic questions, you will likely have unique concerns and medical issues that you will need to address during your consultation.