One of the most frequently asked questions to me by patients, and undoubtably looked for on websites and the internet, are photographic results of plastic surgery. Specifically, plastic surgery pictures from the specific plastic surgeon that they are evaluating. Given that everything we do in plastic surgery is visible and capable of being photographed, most plastic surgeons will have a good library of before and after pictures to peruse. I always send my patients to my website collection at http://www.eppleyplasticsurgery.com/cosmetic.html. From there, they can choose any of the twenty-five cosmetic categories, click on the category, and then click on results to see before and after pictures.
When viewing photographs of plastic surgery results I advise my patients that, first and foremost, these are representative examples and do not imply that they will get the same result. They are posted so patients can see what is possible in some patients, but are not a guarantee of what result they may get. Secondly, I try to put up what I consider typical or average results, not just the best results for any procedure that I have. All results can be critiqued in some fashion and that is one of their main points…no patient gets a perfect result. Every surgical result has flaws. It is about getting significant improvement but with as few complications as possible. Lastly, pictures can be deceiving. Lighting, angles, and how far after surgery the picture was taken all contribute to how the result looks.
In conclusion, before and after pictures of plastic surgery are posted to help you think about your proposed surgery and get a visual understanding of what may happen. They are a significant part of each patient’s education process. They are not, however, a guarantee of surgical results.
Dr Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indianapolis