BOTOX® Injection Information & BOTOX® Cosmetic Injection Doctors

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There are several factors you should consider before you choose a botox doctor decide to go ahead with any cosmetic procedure, be it surgical or not. A Botox injection doctor will be performing a medical procedure. The seemingly easy way that BOTOX® cosmetic is injected, the success and quick results tend to make one think that it is common. Please keep in mind that BOTOX® treatments should only be administered by a qualified individual that you have researched, just like any other procedure. Choose your BOTOX® injection doctor with care.

While there are several organizations that among other things specialize in BOTOX® cosmetic Injections, such as the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, the following are patient guidelines from two Plastic Surgery organizations. These organizations offer tried and true methods for making sure that you properly research a BOTOX® injection doctor before a decision is made. The following are two sets of guidelines from respected organizations.

Check the Physician's Credentials
Because of the complicated musculature of the human face, potential BOTOX® injection patients should seek a plastic surgeon certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery, the only surgeons uniquely qualified to perform cosmetic plastic surgery on the face and all areas of the body.

Seek a Complete Patient Evaluation
When a person is considering an elective medical treatment like BOTOX® injections, he or she should consult with a physician for an evaluation, as well as a full medical history, to determine the most appropriate treatment.

Be Informed
Speak with others about the procedure, friends, family as well as a physician. When a treatment decision is made co-operatively between the physician and patient, the physician should explain the factual information about risks, benefits, alternatives, and reasoning for the proposed treatment, after which an Informed Consent document should be signed by the patient. The consumption of alcohol before, during or after the medical procedure could affect a patient's decision and outcome. The decision to have a medical procedure should be made without the influence of alcohol or peer pressure.

Choose an Appropriate Setting
BOTOX® injections should be performed in a setting with appropriate medical personnel and necessary equipment to safely observe patients and deal with potential complications, as well as provide for the disposal of medical waste.

Hospital privileges:
Cosmetic plastic surgery is often performed outside the hospital in an office-based surgical facility. Wherever the surgery is to be performed, selected surgeons should have hospital privileges to perform the specific procedure in an acute care hospital.

Facilities:
Published data show that accredited office-based facilities have a safety record comparable to that of hospital ambulatory surgery settings. Ambulatory or office-based facilities should be accredited by a nationally or state-recognized accrediting agency, or be state licensed or Medicare certified.

Health:
Candidates for cosmetic surgery should be in generally good physical health and must be candid with their physician about any drugs they are taking. The medical history should include hormones (oral contraceptives and estrogen replacement) and even aspirin, vitamins, and herbal medications since these substances can interfere with blood clotting or interact with medications used during surgery and could increase surgical risk.

Patient education:
Before surgery, patients should be educated about all aspects of the planned surgery, including whether to discontinue certain medications and stop smoking. Postoperative care should be thoroughly discussed with the surgeon, as surgery is not truly over until the patient is ambulatory and has returned to a relatively normal routine.

Risks:
Most cosmetic surgery is extremely safe in the hands of surgeons certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. However, even with the highest level of care, every surgery carries risks as well as benefits, and these should be discussed thoroughly before surgery is undertaken. For example, multiple procedures performed at the same time may increase the risks of surgery. There are risks associated with anesthesia, analgesics and antibiotics. Smokers are at greater risk of complications including delayed wound healing, skin loss, scarring, and poor surgical outcome Other risks include deep vein thrombosis (DVT) [formulation of blood clots in the veins] and pulmonary embolism (PE) [a blood clot that goes to the lungs preventing the lungs from exchanging air]. Factors such as general anesthesia and prolonged operating time appear to increase the risk of DVT. Both DVT and PE are unpredictable and can occur outside the surgical setting, as the result of certain medical conditions or from immobilization; for example, individuals have developed DVT following long airplane trips.

Postoperative monitoring and home care:
In the immediate postoperative period, any patient undergoing cosmetic surgery should be monitored by qualified medical personnel and discharged from the surgical facility only after evaluation by the surgeon. Usually, cosmetic surgery is performed as an outpatient procedure; occasionally, the surgeon may recommend an overnight stay. Patients should arrange to have someone available for assistance for the first day or two following surgery.