What to expect when you call our offices
We understand that you may feel hesitant, nervous or even a bit scared about coming for an appointment with a plastic surgeon. Discussing what you view as needing improvement can seem awkward, embarrassing, intimidating, or even confusing. We understand this, and want you to feel as comfortable as possible when you come in for your Consultation Visit with Dr. Robert N. Young, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon in San Antonio, Texas. You’re most likely considering Dr. Young because you’ve heard of him through friends, relatives, co-workers, or even overheard his name being mentioned at a social event from people you don’t know or are only slightly acquainted with. Dr. Young’s reputation as a highly skilled cosmetic plastic surgeon is widely talked about.
Still, your Consultation Visit is an important step in the cosmetic surgery process. Dr. Young wants you to be forthright, honest, and outspoken about your desires, your expectations, and your fears or reservations about cosmetic plastic surgery, and specifically about the procedure(s) you are interested in. We want to have the opportunity to address each issue with you so that you can make an educated, informed decision about whether this type of procedure is right for you, and whether Dr. Young is the surgeon you feel can help make your dreams of self-improvement come true.
When you first call DrYoungForever in San Antonio, Texas, we will answer whatever questions are most pressing for you so that you feel ready to schedule your Consultation Visit with Dr. Young. We may also ask you questions which will help us determine how best to help you achieve your goals. It is helpful for us to know:
1) How did you hear of our Center or Dr. Young?
This is helpful to us as it helps us understand how much you may already know about Dr. Young and the surgeries he performs. You may have already contacted us via e-mail request, for instance, and have a good understanding of Dr. Young’s extensive experience, his areas of specialty, and the fees for the surgical procedures you are interested in.
2) What procedure(s) are you interested in speaking with Dr. Young about?
Let us know if you have more than one procedure so that we can be prepared when you come in for your Consultation Visit with Dr. Young. The materials we prepare, the estimated length of your appointment, and even the consultation room we take you to is determined by the type of consultation visit you are scheduled for. If you are interested in multiple procedures, we want to be sure to set aside the time needed to address your questions and concerns.
3) How quickly do you want your surgery?
Is there a time frame or deadline you are trying to meet? It is extremely helpful for us to know how soon you are hoping to have your surgery done. We can help coordinate your visits to ensure that we will still have surgery openings when you come in for your Consultation Visit. Dr. Young sometimes has a wait of several weeks or more before there is an opening in his surgery schedule. Sometimes we can fit in a surgery within a day or two if we have an opening or if we have had to move someone’s surgery to another time.
Once we know this information, we will help schedule your visit with Dr. Young. His Consultation Visits are scheduled on Tuesdays and Thursdays between the hours of 9am to 5pm. Other days of the week Dr. Young is performing surgeries in his Outpatient Surgery Center. For your convenience, you can request an appointment by calling our office at 210-403-2000.
Consultation Visits with Dr. Young are complimentary and involve no fee. If your surgery is scheduled following your Consultation Visit, there is a required, non-refundable $500-$1000 scheduling fee to reserve your desired surgery time. For more information about fees, and how payments work, please visit our webpage on Cost & Financing.
You will be given a specific time for your Consultation appointment, and we ask that you arrive a few minutes early in order to complete any Patient Information which you may not have already completed. We invite you to download the Patient Information Form which you can complete at your own pace and in the privacy of your own home prior to coming for your visit. Once you’ve scheduled your appointment, it is an excellent time to start a list of questions, concerns, or reminders you want to discuss. We find that the Consultation Visit is often so exciting that it is easy to forget things which are important to you. Having a short list of these items helps keep you focused and ensures you’ll get everything handled at your first visit.
Your Consultation Visit
You will first meet with one of Dr. Young’s Registered Nurses. Our nurses not only assist Dr. Young in his New Patient Clinics, but in his on-site Surgery Center’s Operating Room and/or Recovery Room as well. They are experienced with all types of surgeries and are an excellent source of information. They will begin by asking what procedures you are interested in, and are there to answer questions you have. Once your questions have been addressed by them, Dr. Young will come in to your exam room and perform an examination. He will give recommendations, and will try to give you a realistic idea of what the surgical procedure can or cannot do for you.
Once you’ve completed your visit with Dr. Young, your nurse will prepare a Quotation detailing the fees for the surgery you’ve discussed. This Quotation will show Dr. Young’s surgeon fees, the Operating Room fee, Anesthesia (which cover the fee of your Board Certified Anesthesiologist), Lab work (bloodwork, EKG, and any other pre-surgery testing which we may require for your safety), cost of implants (if applicable), post-surgery garments. All prices also include your pre-operative visit and all post-operative follow up visits for the first year.
You’ll then be taken to meet with your Surgical Coordinator. Carly is expert in coordinating your visits, handling finance options, time off from work, preparing for surgery and your recovery. If you’re ready to schedule your surgery, she’ll help select the dates which will work best for you, and accept the required, non-refundable $500-$1000 scheduling fee which holds the surgery date for you. See our pages on Cost & Financing for more information on payment policies.
Some things you should be sure to discuss when meeting with Dr. Young and his nurses:
1) Do you have a medical history, or special need that we should be aware of?
It is EXTREMELY important for us to know if you have a medical condition as it may affect the way we plan your surgery. Having a pre-existing medical condition does NOT automatically rule out the possibility of surgery. However, knowing in advance of ALL medical conditions helps us plan for you to have a SAFE surgery. A history of smoking (whether you currently smoke or not) is very important, as are any condition in which you may have been “borderline” at some point. Even vitamins, non-prescription drugs, herbal remedies etc., are crucial to make sure we minimize any potential risk of complications.
2) Any fears or reservations you have about surgery, anesthesia, recovery, etc.
It is natural to have some degree of anxiety about a surgery. We will address any concerns that you may have in your visits with us. There is also helpful information available on Dr. Young’s blog.
3) Do you have plans for travel or special events following surgery?
We find that some patients come to us wanting their surgeries before a big event such as a wedding, anniversary or family gathering. Recovering from a cosmetic surgery takes time, and in order for you to look and feel your best, you’ll want to give yourself enough time to recover and heal. It is best to give yourself several months, so planning your Consultation Visit at least 4-6 months in advance of your deadline is best. It is also important to give yourself enough healing time before flying. We recommend at least two weeks. It is always good to check with Dr. Young or his nurses to get recommendations for your specific situation.
Once you schedule your surgery
You will have your Pre-Operative Visit scheduled two to three weeks prior to your surgery (unless you are having your surgery before then). At this visit, you’ll meet with one of Dr. Young’s Registered Nurses. She will go over your surgical procedure(s) in detail, explaining everything from preparation for surgery to the recovery process. She will review your medical history, take your vital signs, you will have bloodwork taken at the lab, and all final preparations are made.
Unless something abnormal appears in your lab results, your surgery will go on as scheduled. You will receive a call from our office the day prior to your surgery in order to give you the exact time for you to come in. Your Surgery Coordinator will also remind you of your pre-surgery instructions.
Day of your surgery
While your surgery date was selected in advance, the exact time you are to arrive, and the time of your surgery will be determined the day before your scheduled surgery date. You will receive a phone call informing you when to arrive the next day. We schedule each surgery for the day with the expectation that everything will go according to schedule, but occasionally schedules can get thrown off due to late arrivals, longer than normal prep times, or a surgery which takes shorter or longer than anticipated. We hope you understand, and plan your day accordingly.
The friend or relative you choose to bring you to your surgery and pick you up when you are released should be prepared to drop you off and leave a cell phone or other number where we can reach them once you’ve been brought to recovery. This will allow them enough time to return to the office to pick you up. We ask that you select just one friend for your ride, and do not bring children on the day of your surgery. While you and other patients of Dr. Young will be here for your surgery, our waiting room will be filled with post surgery or new patients waiting to see our other doctors. Your ride should be flexible with their schedule on the day of your surgery and have plans to drop you off and return several hours later after we have called them to let them know you are ready for pickup. They will be given an estimated time to return, but it is only an estimate and it is always best for them to wait for the call from the OR staff so that they do not have to wait unnecessarily.
Before you leave the Surgery Center with your ride, you will again receive your post-operative instructions for your at-home recovery. We will see you again at your first post-op follow up visit, but will be available for you by phone if you have any questions or concerns before then. Do not hesitate to call us 24/7 by phoning us at 210-403-2000.
NEVER e-mail urgent concerns as we cannot ensure timely receipt or response to e-mails.
PLEASE CALL THE OFFICE at 210-403-2000. Our 24 hr answering service will forward post-op calls. You should dial 911 for emergencies.
We hope that this outlines the steps for Cosmetic Plastic Surgery with Dr. Robert N. Young, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon in San Antonio, Texas. Please feel free to phone our office at 210-403-2000.
While it is not a “rule” or “office policy”, we urge all of our patients to make appropriate arrangements for childcare when you come to your visits with us.
Cosmetic Plastic Surgery is a personal and very private subject which usually involves some degree of undress, examination, and frank discussion. It is usually not appropriate for babies or children to attend. If they do, it is usually difficult for them to sit through the visits which are lengthy, confusing and even scary for them. We do not have play areas or distraction such as television to help entertain them. Most children become bored very quickly and can become unruly or difficult to console, distracting you and other patients. This can prevent you from retaining information and instructions, or keep you from asking important questions.
Our entire office and Surgery Center is geared for providing you with information and preparation for your Cosmetic Surgery and we want to be sure that you have the best opportunity for this. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.
For more information about specific cosmetic plastic surgery procedures which are performed by San Antonio’s renowned Board Certified Plastic Surgeon Dr. Robert Young, please contact our office at 210-403-2000.
