Planning & safety
Is Cosmetic Surgery Safe?
Is cosmetic surgery safe? The real risk profile, what affects your personal risk, and the steps you can take to protect yourself.
Read the article: Is Cosmetic Surgery Safe?Patient guide · Your consultation
Pre-Consultation Checklist
A printable checklist for your first appointment with a plastic surgeon: what to do beforehand, what to bring and wear, and what to check before you leave.
- The surgeon you meet is the surgeon who operates
- CQC-regulated hospital, rated Good
- Day-case surgery under TIVA or local anaesthetic
- 4.6 Based on 342 Google reviews
Medically reviewed by Dr Spyridon VlachosSpecialist Plastic Surgeon · FEBOPRAS · GMC 7522950
Last reviewed
Written by the Centre for Surgery clinical team
Key points
- Be clear about what you want to change and why, and bring photos of results you like and do not like.
- Bring a full list of your medicines and supplements, your medical history and your GP's details.
- Check the BMI limit for your operation, and know that you will need to stop all nicotine four weeks before surgery.
- Wear clothes that are easy to take off for the examination; a chaperone is available on request.
- You receive a written plan and quote afterwards, and we recommend taking at least two weeks to decide.
Your pre-consultation checklist
A first consultation with a plastic surgeon goes by quickly, and many people leave wishing they had asked one more question or brought one more piece of information. This checklist covers what to do beforehand, what to bring and wear, and what to check before you leave. It is for your first appointment; for the operation itself, see preparing for the day of surgery, and for the questions to put to your surgeon, use the question list in our guide to your cosmetic surgery consultation.
Tick each item as you go. Your ticks are saved on this device, and each list can be printed or copied into your phone. The Royal College of Surgeons also suggests taking a checklist to your consultation[1].
How to prepare for a plastic surgery consultation
The most useful preparation is being clear about what you want to change and why: the NHS advises being sure of “the change you want to see and the reasons why” before you start[2]. Photos help more than words. Save a few pictures of results you like, and just as usefully, a few you do not.
Two things change how safe surgery is and are worth knowing before you come. The first is your weight: in an analysis of 127,961 aesthetic surgery patients in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal ↗, major complications rose from 1.6% at a healthy BMI to 3.1% at a BMI of 30 to 39.9[3], which is why many operations have a BMI limit. The second is smoking: smokers have more wound breakdown, infection and tissue loss after surgery[4], so we ask you to stop all nicotine four weeks before surgery and four weeks after.
Before the day
- My consultation is booked and the £100 fee is paid (it is redeemable against surgery if I go ahead).
- I have read the treatment page for the procedure I am interested in.
- I know my height and weight, and I have checked the BMI limits by procedure.
- I have written down what I would like to change, and why.
- I have saved photos of results I like, and of results I do not want.
- I have written my questions down, or ticked them in the consultation question list.
- If I smoke or vape: I know I will need to stop four weeks before surgery and stay stopped for four weeks after.
- I have thought about who could take me home after surgery and stay with me for 24 hours.
- I have looked at work, childcare and holidays, allowing at least two weeks to decide after the consultation.
- If I live outside London, I have asked about a virtual first consultation (a face-to-face consultation is still needed before surgery).
What to bring to a plastic surgery consultation
Your surgeon needs an accurate picture of your health to plan safely, so bring the details rather than relying on memory. Include anything that thins the blood: aspirin is usually stopped two weeks before surgery, but never stop a prescribed medicine without advice from your GP or surgeon. If you have had breast implants before, the implant details make implant replacement or revision far easier to plan.
It is worth bringing a friend or partner. A review in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine ↗ found that people forget 40–80% of medical information almost immediately[5], and a second person can take notes while you listen.
Bring with you
- Photo ID.
- A list of all my medicines: prescriptions, the pill or HRT, vitamins, supplements and herbal remedies, with doses.
- Whether I take aspirin or any other blood thinner.
- My allergies, including to medicines, latex or plasters.
- My medical history: conditions, previous operations and any problems with an anaesthetic.
- My GP practice name and address (we ask for a GP summary before surgery under TIVA or sedation, with your permission).
- Records of any previous cosmetic surgery; for breast implants, the implant card or operation note with brand, size, profile and date.
- My photos and my written questions.
- A friend or partner, if I would like a second pair of ears.
We contact your GP only with your permission, as GMC guidance requires[6].
What to wear to a plastic surgery consultation
Wear something comfortable that you can take off and put back on easily, because most consultations include an examination. A chaperone is available on request.
What to wear
- Comfortable two-piece clothing that is easy to take off for the examination.
- For a breast consultation: a plain, close-fitting top I am happy to try sizers under (see preparing for a breast augmentation consultation).
- For a facial consultation: little or no make-up, so the surgeon can assess my skin.
- For a body consultation: underwear I am comfortable being examined and photographed in.
During your consultation
Your consultation is with the surgeon who would perform your operation. They take your history, examine you, explain your options and the risks, and show you before and after photos of their own patients. What happens at a plastic surgery consultation walks through it in detail.
Before I leave the room
- The consultant I have seen is the surgeon who would operate on me.
- I understand which operation is recommended, and where the scars would be.
- I have asked about the anaesthetic: TIVA or local anaesthetic with sedation.
- I have seen before and after photos of the surgeon’s own patients.
- I understand the main risks, and how likely they are for me.
- I know how much time off work I would need, and when I could drive and exercise.
- Every question on my list has been answered.
After your consultation
You receive a written treatment plan and an individual quote, usually by the next working day. Then take your time: allow at least two weeks to decide before you confirm a surgery date, which is the cooling-off period the NHS and the Royal College of Surgeons recommend[7]. If questions come up, book another consultation before you decide; a follow-up consultation about the same procedure is included in your fee.
Most cosmetic surgery is not available on the NHS or covered by private medical insurance. You can pay by debit or credit card, including American Express, or by bank transfer, and finance is available, subject to status. If you go ahead, a deposit secures your surgery date and your coordinator explains the payment terms. The next steps are set out in the cosmetic surgery patient journey, and if you are planning around work or a big event, read choosing your surgery date.
After the consultation
- I have received my written treatment plan and quote.
- I have checked what the quote includes, and what I would buy separately, such as compression garments and medicines.
- I am taking at least two weeks to decide.
- I have booked a follow-up consultation if I still have questions.
- I have looked at the finance options, if I need them.
The patients who get the most from a consultation are the ones who arrive knowing what bothers them, with a list of medicines and a list of questions. It means we spend the time on what matters: whether surgery is right for you.
Dr Spyridon Vlachos, Specialist Plastic Surgeon and medical reviewer
References
Guidance comes from the official sources listed.
- Royal College of Surgeons of England. Your consultation with the surgeon ↗.
- NHS. Is a cosmetic procedure right for me? ↗. Last reviewed 9 May 2023.
- Gupta V, Winocour J, Rodriguez-Feo C, et al. Safety of aesthetic surgery in the overweight patient: analysis of 127,961 patients. Aesthet Surg J. 2016;36(6):718–729. doi:10.1093/asj/sjv268 ↗
- Sørensen LT. Wound healing and infection in surgery: the clinical impact of smoking and smoking cessation: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Arch Surg. 2012;147(4):373–383. doi:10.1001/archsurg.2012.5 ↗
- Kessels RPC. Patients’ memory for medical information. J R Soc Med. 2003;96(5):219–222. doi:10.1177/014107680309600504 ↗
- General Medical Council. Guidance for doctors who offer cosmetic interventions: communication, partnership and teamwork ↗. In effect from 1 June 2016.
- NHS. Before you have a cosmetic procedure ↗. Last reviewed 22 May 2023.
Preparing for your consultation: common questions
What should I wear to a plastic surgery consultation?
Comfortable clothes you can take off easily, ideally a separate top and bottom, because the surgeon will usually examine the area. For breast consultations a plain, close-fitting top helps with trying sizers; for facial consultations come with little or no make-up.
What should I bring to a plastic surgery consultation?
Photo ID, a list of your medicines and supplements, your allergies and medical history, your GP’s details, any records of previous cosmetic surgery, photos of results you like and do not like, and your written questions.
What should I not say to a plastic surgeon?
There is nothing to hide. Tell your surgeon about smoking or vaping, every medicine you take, previous operations and your mental health. Leaving something out does not lower your risk; it only stops your surgeon planning for it.
What should I not do in the two weeks before surgery?
That depends on your operation and comes later, after your consultation: typically no smoking or nicotine for four weeks, no aspirin for two weeks unless it is prescribed, and no new supplements. Preparing for plastic surgery has the full list.
How long is a plastic surgery consultation?
Usually 30 to 45 minutes with the surgeon, with a little extra time with your patient coordinator.
Should I bring photos to my consultation?
Yes. Photos of results you like, and of results you do not want, help your surgeon understand what you are hoping for far better than descriptions. Your surgeon will tell you honestly which are realistic for you.
Can I bring someone with me?
Yes. A friend or partner can take notes and help you remember what was said, and it is useful to have someone to talk it through with during the cooling-off period.
Is my BMI too high for cosmetic surgery?
It depends on the operation. Complication rates rise as BMI goes up, so many procedures have a limit, and your surgeon may suggest a target weight before surgery. See BMI and cosmetic surgery eligibility for the limits by procedure.
Related guides
Your cosmetic surgery consultation
What happens at a consultation and the questions worth asking your surgeon.
Read the guide →
How to choose a plastic surgeon
The registers to check, the qualifications to expect and the warning signs.
Read the guide →
The cosmetic surgery patient journey
Every step from enquiry to aftercare, and how long each one takes.
Read the guide →What our patients say
Centre for Surgery Patient Reviews
01 / 09
4.6
Based on 342 Google reviews · Read every review on Google
Read patient reviews
Selected Google reviews, quoted word for word; […] marks where a review has been shortened. Individual experiences — results vary.
Patient Library
Planning and safety, explained
50 articles on choosing a clinic, anaesthesia and safety, written for patients and medically reviewed by Dr Spyridon Vlachos, Specialist Plastic Surgeon.
Planning & safety
How Do I Choose the Right Cosmetic Surgery Clinic?
Planning & safety
What Happens If I Am Not Happy With My Cosmetic Surgery Results?
Planning & safety
What Is TIVA Anaesthesia and Why Does Centre for Surgery Use It?
The Centre for Surgery newsletter
Patient guides and hospital news, in your inbox
New articles from our Patient Library, recovery advice from our surgeons and news from our hospital on Baker Street.
- Written for patients
- Medically reviewed
- Unsubscribe at any time
Regulated by
Rated Good overall
Our CQC report
Our surgeons are members of
