Your Consultation

The surgical experience begins with your consultation. This is an important step in the process of considering plastic surgery. This will be the beginning of a long-term relationship, and it is important to choose a physician you feel comfortable with and trust.

When you arrive at our office, we do our best to make you feel welcome and comfortable in a quiet, relaxed atmosphere. Our receptionist greets you and asks you to provide basic information for our records. You are then escorted to a consultation room where our nurse will explain the examination process. She will be with you throughout the consultation.

When you meet with Dr. Poole, together you will discuss how you envision your new appearance. Dr. Poole views the relationship between himself and his patients as a partnership. He will explain the procedure(s) and encourage you to ask questions. He will examine you and give you his opinion about how best to achieve your desired result. Photographs will be taken for our records and to help Dr. Poole with surgical planning.
During your appointment, you will be shown “before and after” photographs of the procedure. We will give you a booklet created especially for you that contains information about the surgical process in general and information specific to your procedure, including pre- and post-operative care instructions. This booklet will be a valuable resource for you and your caregiver and will answer many of the questions most commonly asked before and after surgery.

Pre-operative Visit

When you decide to schedule surgery, an appointment will be made for a pre-operative visit with Dr. Poole’s nurses, Amy and Dee. This is generally scheduled for a date about two weeks prior to your surgery. This will give you time before your surgery to address any questions about your procedure and recovery and to make sure you have proper support systems in place for your recovery process.

During this appointment Amy or Dee will give you consent forms to sign, prescriptions for medications, and review with you detailed written instructions for pre- and post-operative care using the booklet given to you at your initial consultation with Dr. Poole. She will go over what to expect at the surgery center on the day of your surgery and what you can expect for the first few days after surgery. After surgery care is critical in terms of a smooth recovery and desired end result.

In most cases you can recuperate in the comfort of your own home with the help of loved ones or friends. For surgeries such as facelift and abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), Dr. Poole may recommend more skilled care such as may be provided by a home-care nurse or, in rare cases, in the hospital. We will be happy to assist you with these arrangements.

The Surgery

You will be asked to arrive at the surgical facility one and a half or two hours prior to surgery, where you will be in the excellent care of nurses who will prepare you for surgery.

Dr. Poole will meet with you one last time before surgery and review the procedure and answer any last minute questions. He will take photographs and place markings on you that will assist him during the surgery.

You will meet your Board Certified Anesthesiologist, who will answer questions and make you feel comfortable with the process. After the anesthetic is administered, the next thing you know you will be in the recovery area! Nurses will monitor you as you recover from the anesthetic and you will usually be able to go home in about an hour and a half.

Before you go, your nurse will give detailed written instructions to your caregiver about your needs after surgery. Dr. Poole will see you before you go and will meet with the person who will care for you and answer any questions.

After Surgery

The night of your surgery Dr. Poole will call you to see how you’re doing and answer any questions you or your caregiver may have.

Each day after surgery until your first post-operative appointment, Amy or Dee will call to check on you to make sure your recovery is progressing properly and to answer any questions.

Someone is on call 24 hours a day and may be reached by calling our office number. Most questions can be answered by a staff member; however, Dr. Poole is always available if necessary.

Follow-up Visits

Depending on your procedure, you will generally return to see Dr. Poole seven to ten days following your surgery. If you’ve had a procedure such as facelift or abdominoplasty, you will be seen initially a day or two following surgery and then about five days later. Your progress will be evaluated and sutures may be removed.

Your next appointment will be in about three weeks, and after that several months. During this time we are available to help in any way we can.

Our staff will spend the time to answer all your questions and concerns. Our goal is to provide superior care and total patient satisfaction, and we will do whatever we can to insure a positive experience each step of the way, from your initial consultation through your surgery and recovery process.