Navigating Your Surgical Consultation with My Plastic Surgery Group: A Guide to Ease Your Mind

Embarking on a journey toward cosmetic surgery is both exciting and nerve-wracking. From envisioning your desired results to finding the right surgeon, every step can feel like a significant milestone. One of the most important steps in this process is the initial consultation — and one of the most common reasons patients arrive underprepared is not knowing what to expect or what to ask. This guide walks you through what happens at a surgical consultation with My Plastic Surgery Group and how to make the most of it.

What to Expect at Your Consultation

1. Personalized attention from the surgeon. At My Plastic Surgery Group, your consultation is conducted by Dr. John Aker or Dr. Di Beckman directly — not a patient coordinator, medical assistant, or sales representative. The surgeon you meet is the surgeon who will operate on you. This is not the norm at all practices, and it matters: the person assessing your anatomy and setting your expectations should be the same person performing the procedure.
2. In-depth discussion of your goals. The surgeon will begin by listening — to what you're hoping to change, what has prompted you to consider surgery now, and what outcome you're picturing. Be as specific as possible. "I want to look more rested" and "I want to address the skin below my chin" give the surgeon different information. Bringing reference photos, whether of your own past appearance or of results you find appealing, helps establish a shared visual vocabulary for the conversation.
3. Comprehensive physical evaluation. Your surgeon will conduct a thorough evaluation of the area you're considering. This involves physical examination, measurements, and photographs to document your baseline appearance. The surgeon is assessing your anatomy — skin quality, tissue composition, symmetry, and structural characteristics — to determine which technique will produce the best result for your specific starting point, not a generic outcome.
4. Education on technique, risks, and alternatives. Your surgeon will explain exactly what the proposed procedure involves — the technique, incision placement, what is and is not achievable, and the realistic range of outcomes for your anatomy. Risks specific to the procedure and to your health history will be reviewed. If a different approach would serve you better, or if surgery is not the right answer for your goal, MPSG will tell you directly.
5. Before-and-after photo review. Your surgeon will show you before-and-after photographs from prior cases — ideally cases involving patients with anatomy similar to yours. Photos of ideal-result patients alone are not useful for setting expectations. Ask specifically to see cases with a starting point that resembles your own. Understanding the realistic outcome range for your anatomy is one of the most important things you can take away from a consultation.
6. Recovery and post-operative planning. The consultation includes a practical discussion of recovery: how long you will need to restrict activity, when you can return to work, what the post-operative visit schedule looks like, and what warning signs to watch for. Understanding recovery requirements before scheduling is essential — underestimating downtime is one of the most common sources of patient dissatisfaction after an otherwise successful procedure.

Questions to Bring to Your Consultation

Arriving with prepared questions leads to more productive consultations. The surgeon expects them and respects patients who have done their homework. Consider asking:

1. How many times have you performed this specific procedure? Volume matters. Dr. Aker has performed over 1,000 tummy tucks. That level of repetition develops the surgical judgment and complication management experience that lower-volume surgeons do not have.
2. Can I see before-and-after photos of patients with similar anatomy to mine? Generic gallery results are not sufficient. Ask for cases that match your starting point — similar skin quality, similar degree of the concern you're addressing.
3. What technique will you use, and why is that the right choice for my anatomy? Many procedures have multiple technique options. Understanding why your surgeon is recommending a specific approach for your specific anatomy signals that the plan is personalized, not templated.
4. What anesthesia will be used and who will administer it? General anesthesia requires a board-certified anesthesiologist or certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA). Local anesthesia with sedation has different requirements. Knowing this in advance avoids surprises on surgery day.
5. Where will the procedure be performed, and is the facility accredited? MPSG procedures are performed at an accredited outpatient surgical facility. Ask for the facility name and verify accreditation independently if you wish.
6. What does recovery look like week by week, and when can I return to work and exercise? Week-by-week is more useful than a single number. "Two to four weeks" can mean very different things depending on whether your job involves sitting at a desk or physical labor, and whether exercise means walking or CrossFit.
7. What are the risks specific to this procedure and to my health history? General risk lists are less useful than a risk discussion tailored to you. Patients with specific conditions — diabetes, history of smoking, prior surgery in the same area — face modified risk profiles worth discussing explicitly.
8. What happens if I need a revision? A confident surgeon will describe their revision policy clearly. Understanding the timeline for when a revision can be assessed, and how revisions are handled financially and logistically, is reasonable to ask before committing to a procedure.

What Happens After the Consultation

If you decide to proceed, the next step is scheduling your procedure date. MPSG's team will walk you through pre-operative requirements: lab work, medication adjustments (particularly blood thinners and certain supplements such as vitamin E, fish oil, and herbal products that affect bleeding), and preparation instructions specific to your surgery. Smoking cessation requirements, if applicable, will be reviewed — nicotine significantly impairs wound healing and is a contraindication for many procedures.

You will receive written pre-operative instructions, a timeline for the day of surgery, and direct contact information for the team if questions arise between scheduling and your procedure date. Most surgical procedures at MPSG are performed at an accredited outpatient surgical facility; you will return home the same day in virtually all cases. You will need a responsible adult to drive you home and stay with you for the first 24 hours after general anesthesia or IV sedation. Recovery instructions are procedure-specific and will be reviewed in detail before your surgery date so that you arrive prepared.

Why MPSG Consultations Are Different

At My Plastic Surgery Group, consultations are conducted by the surgeon — not a patient coordinator or sales representative. You will speak directly with Dr. John Aker or Dr. Di Beckman, depending on your procedure. Consultations are not structured as sales appointments. The surgeon's role is to assess whether the procedure you're considering is appropriate for your anatomy and goals, explain the realistic outcome range honestly, and answer your questions without pressure or upselling.

If the procedure is not right for you — or if a different approach would serve you better — MPSG will tell you. That directness is an asset, not a liability. Patients who proceed with a clear-eyed understanding of what surgery can and cannot achieve are more satisfied with their results than patients who were told what they wanted to hear during the consultation. The goal of a consultation is an informed decision, whether that decision is to proceed, to wait, or to consider a different approach entirely.

Ready to explore your options? Schedule a consultation with our board-certified plastic surgeons at My Plastic Surgery Group in Carmel, Indiana. Call us at (317) 848-5512.

Related: Schedule Your Consultation  ·  Meet Dr. John Aker  ·  Meet Dr. Di Beckman