A cosmetic consultation is your time to ask any questions.
Cosmetic surgery has become a common procedure to enhance a person's appearance, either by choice or due to a medical defect. For those who elect to have cosmetic surgery for aesthetic reasons, there may be a fee for a consultation. The purpose of the consultation is to meet with the surgeon who will be performing the procedure and to learn what may work. The decision to have a fee for a consultation is the responsibility of the practicing physician. Fees will vary depending on the specialty, region and the demand of the individual doctor.
Average Fee
While consultation fees may vary, there is an average range that patients can expect. A consultation fee can range from $75 to $200, depending on the doctor. What you get for the price is usually a one-on-one meeting with the doctor to discuss the procedure, "before" photos, and a discussion on payment options. Most practices will apply the consultation fee to the final payment of the procedure.
Reason for Payment
There are different reasons that a surgeon may charge a consultation fee. In simple terms, a consultation fee pays for the time of the doctor. Professionals, doctors included, only get paid when they perform a service. Either the surgeon is performing a surgery or is in a consultation. Part of the money from the surgery also goes towards the staff, the building, equipment, medicine and any other medical devices they may use. If a practice did more consultations, without compensation, than surgeries, they would not be able to pay for the other expenses. One purpose of the fee is to weed out people who are not interested in having cosmetic surgery. By requiring a fee, the doctor will only handle the cases that are serious about the procedure.
Free Consultation
There are some physicians who are willing to waive the consultation fee for their patients. Though the patient does not have to pay to get some basic information, a downside to this may be that the consultation becomes more of a high-pressure sales meeting.
What to Expect
When going to a consultation, bring some written questions to ask. This is time that you have paid for and you should get as much out of it as possible. Come with the expectation to learn something new, as different doctors may have a slightly different approach to the same procedure. Ask to see any past examples of his work, in the procedure you are looking to have done. There is no correlation to the fee amount and the quality of work. It is simply their fee for their time. Ask friends and family if there is a cosmetic surgeon that they recommend. This will help save some money by visiting a doctor that you may like in the first visit.
Tags: cosmetic surgery
