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- Photographs before cosmetic surgery
It is common for plastic surgeons to take photographs before and after surgery. These photographs are taken for several reasons.
- First they act as a method of documenting how the patient looked before surgery. Very often it is difficult to describe in words what is primarily a visual problem. Also the picture serves to document the presence of preexisting scars, moles, asymmetry and so on. This may have great significance from a medicolegal perspective.
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- Second, the photographs help the surgeon plan the operation and can serve as valuable reference during surgery.
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- Finally, it is not uncommon for patients to forget their appearance before surgery and the pictures can help to remind them of the changes that have occurred.
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- Your photographs are part of your medical record and are not shown to anyone without your permission. Your doctor may ask for permission to show your pictures to other patients. If you feel comfortable with this you may be able help other patients decide about surgery.
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