What happens at your Initial Plastic Surgery Consultation?
‘The keys to a successful first consultation: easy patient access, relaxed and comfortable surroundings, a knowledgeable and experienced surgeon, proper patient education.’
Your first step in the plastic surgery process is a personal consultation with our plastic surgeon, Dr. Lawrence Tong. A referral from your physician is not necessary. To make your appointment, initiate a request through our website, or contact us by telephone and we will arrange a consultation at our office in Yorkville. Once you arrive, you are asked to fill out a medical information form about yourself. To save time, download and fill it out beforehand.
We strive to have minimal to zero waiting times for your visit to Dr. Tong, once the appropriate paperwork is completed.
During your consultation, Dr. Tong discusses your concerns and goals, performs a thorough examination, and makes recommendations about procedure(s) that can accomplish your goals. He explains each procedure in detail, including all of the benefits and risks. Dr. Tong will also go over any alternative procedures that may help. You will view photographs of Dr. Tong’s previous surgery results so that you can get a sense of his work and develop reasonable expectations. Once all of your questions are answered, our patient coordinator generates your personal quote and reviews it with you. The entire process takes approximately one hour.
One of our main goals is to make you an educated patient. We want you to come away with the tools to make an informed choice about cosmetic plastic surgery. We will never pressure you. We want you to be absolutely comfortable with us before making your choice.
What happens after you have made the decision to have Cosmetic Surgery?
‘Make your decision and we will make the rest of the process smooth and seamless.’
Once you have made your decision to have a procedure with us, let us know and we will take care of organizing the particulars.
We will set up a surgery date that works for you. Our Toronto plastic surgery centre has multiple operating rooms and we are generally able to accommodate requests for specific dates, provided that another patient has not already booked surgery with Dr. Tong. If you are having a procedure that involves a stay at our Overnight Stay Centre (typically a Tummy Tuck or Facelift), we will also reserve a room for your stay.
We will help organize a medical clearance for you. The medical clearance involves some standard blood work, but may also include a visit to your primary care provider. A medical clearance helps to ensure that your health status is optimized so that you can undergo your procedure with the least amount of risk.
We will set up another visit with Dr. Tong—a ‘second consultation’ before your actual surgery date.
If you are undergoing a non-surgical procedure (such as BOTOX® Cosmetic, Restylane®, JUVÉDERM®) you will not require a medical clearance, blood work, or second consultation. Your non-surgical procedure can be scheduled at the same time as your initial consultation with Dr. Tong, or may be done on a subsequent date of your choosing.
What happens at your second plastic surgery consultation?
‘An opportunity to reconnect and reconfirm goals’
At the second consultation, you will meet with Dr. Tong again. The visit is generally scheduled 2-3 weeks prior to the actual surgery date. During this visit, Dr. Tong will review your upcoming surgery with you, re-familiarize himself with your anatomy, confirm your aesthetic goals, and take pre-operative photos. You will also receive specific verbal and written instructions about the recovery process for the surgery. The second visit is an opportunity for you to ask new questions, re-clarify old questions, and confirm or communicate a change of goals. Typically, the next time you see Dr. Tong is on the day of your surgery.
What happens on the day of your plastic surgery?
‘Efficient, safe, and professional operating room staff will make your special day go by effortlessly.’
Preparations
Your surgery is performed on the third floor of our on-site operating facility in Yorkville. When you arrive, our nurses will check you in. Dr. Tong will see you to make the surgical markings and answer any last minute questions. The Board-Certified anesthesiologist will speak to you about the anesthetic process and review your prior anesthetic history with you. If you have a history of nausea with any prior surgery, the anesthetist will take measures to prevent it from happening.
Surgery
Once the operating room preparations have been completed, you are brought into the operating room. There, you will undergo the anesthetic. Dr. Tong will then perform the surgery. Your accompanying friend(s)/family member(s) may wait in our dedicated family waiting room during your surgery, or they may shop or have something to eat in the Yorkville area.
Post-op Recovery
After the surgery is completed, you are gently awakened from the anesthetic, and brought to the post anesthesia recovery area. There, you’ll awaken from your anesthetic while being monitored by our nurses as you transition to becoming fully awake. Once you are ready to be discharged (based on specific medical criteria), you are allowed to go home with your friends/family or proceed to your planned stay at the Overnight Stay Centre. Dr. Tong checks on you again before you leave, or before our staff transfers you to your overnight stay room.
The Next Morning
If you have stayed overnight, Dr. Tong will come see you the next morning, check your surgery sites, and change dressings as needed. You will then be allowed to go home to the care of your family.
If your procedure did not involve an overnight stay, you will follow up with Dr. Tong at a scheduled time back in Dr. Ton’s office on the second floor.
What Happens During Plastic Surgery Follow Up Appointments?
‘Scheduled appointments at procedure-specific intervals will ensure your progress is closely monitored.’
We have a commitment to your full recovery and satisfaction. To that end, you have specific follow-up visits with Dr. Tong on a regular basis. What if you happen to see Dr. Tong more than the typical number of follow ups? No problem— we know that patients will occasionally want to be seen more often. It’s all included.
The first visits involve removing stitches and checking the healing. As the recovery process continues, you will begin to see even more improvement than what you see right after surgery. Improvement occurs because swelling subsides, tissues settle, and scars fade. The follow-up appointments are intended to make sure all of those things progress as they should. Dr. Tong will recommend diet allowances, activity restrictions, and further measures to help things move along.
From time to time, photographs are taken during the follow up process. These are used to document your progress and in relation to your personal care. Unless you give us written permission, your photos are not used for any other purpose.
Dr. Lawrence Tong has either authored or reviewed and approved this content.