Q: How do I schedule an appointment?
A: For an accurate surgical assessment, you will need a personal consultation with Dr. Cowan. During this meeting, you will be able to discuss your expectations with Dr. Cowan so that he can design a personalized treatment plan. A surgical consultation is always performed prior to cosmetic surgery.
A: For an accurate surgical assessment, you will need a personal consultation with Dr. Cowan. During this meeting, you will be able to discuss your expectations with Dr. Cowan so that he can design a personalized treatment plan. A surgical consultation is always performed prior to cosmetic surgery.
To schedule a cosmetic consultation, call our staff at (604) 875-4888
Q: What is involved in a consultation?
A: During your consultation, you will have the opportunity to discuss your desired changes and review your expectations. Dr. Cowan will assess your current medical health and prior health history. He will determine your candidacy for surgery and cosmetic treatments and identify which procedure(s) will be required for you to reach your goal.
If you decide to proceed with a more involved surgical plan, you will be requested to attend a second consultation for a review of the surgical plan, pre-operative examination, photographs, surgical scheduling and payment arrangements.
Q: What are the components of the surgical fee?
A: The surgical fee is composed of Dr. Cowan’s fee, the anesthesiologist’s fee and the facility fee. Facility fees may vary by location.
Q: How is the cost determined?
A: The cost for each surgical case is determined by the complexity of the case, the number of areas to be treated, Dr. Cowan’s fee, the assistant’s fee, the hourly facility cost (surgical suite, anesthesiologist’s fee, nursing fees) and the cost for an overnight stay (if required). Fees will be collected by Dr. Cowan’s office prior to booking.
Q: Where will the procedure be performed?
A: The location of the procedure depends on the level of anesthesia required and the type of surgery being performed. Many cases performed under local anesthesia, with the patient awake, are performed at the VGH Skin Care Centre. More extensive cosmetic surgery will be performed at the Cambie Surgical Centre. More extensive reconstructive surgery will be performed at Vancouver General Hospital or the University of British Columbia Hospital. You will be informed as to the location of your surgery well before your surgical date.
Q: How can I better prepare myself for the procedure?
A: Prior to your surgery, maintain your normal dietary intake and exercise regime. Your exercise regime may be on hold for up to 4-8 weeks post-operatively, depending on the specific surgery you are having.
Avoid garlic, ginkgo biloba and ginseng for two weeks prior to your surgery. You should avoid all anti-inflammatory agents for at least two weeks prior to surgery. Aspirin, Ibuprophen (Advil), and Bufferin are common anti-inflammatories. Dr. Cowan’s patient care coordinator, Jess, will supply you with a comprehensive list. We recommend that you take arnica before and after surgery to avoid unnecessary bruising and swelling. Jess will provide you with the necessary medication.
It is important to ensure that you have a trusted friend or family member to bring you both to and from the surgical centre. If you are not staying overnight at the surgical facility, Dr. Cowan recommends that you contact his patient care coordinator to ask for a transfer assistant to help you get home. The assistant can help in the event that arranging for a friend or family member to assist in the transfer is difficult and in certain cases can spend the night for overnight supervision. In these cases, we utilize a home nursing service, at a charge.
Finally, many surgical procedures will make overhead stretching difficult, so please remember to lower items you use on a daily basis to waist height for the first two weeks.
Q: I am a smoker. I have heard that this may negatively affect my surgery. Is that true?
A: Unfortunately, yes. It has been well proven that cigarette smokers have a much higher rate of post-operative infections and death (necrosis) of tissues moved in the process of reconstruction or cosmetic surgery. Due to this fact, all smokers are instructed to stop smoking or dramatically reduce their smoking prior to and after cancer surgery.
As all cosmetic surgery is non-essential surgery, Dr. Cowan will typically not offer cosmetic surgery to smokers as both the cosmetic surgery patient and Dr. Cowan desire the best surgical result for the patient and do not want to assume unnecessary risks for non-essential surgery. If you are able to stop smoking for a period of 6+ months, Dr. Cowan will be happy to assist you in your care.
Q: Are there any other medical factors that may reduce my candidacy for cosmetic surgery?
A: As Dr. Cowan wants you to undergo surgery with the least number of complications, patients who have uncontrolled elevated blood pressure and / or those who must remain on blood thinners (ASA, Coumadin / Warfarin, Plavix, Xarelto, etc.) are not good candidates for surgery due to their elevated risks for bleeding and development of blood clots under the surgery sites, known as hematomas.