The Daily Schedule Of A Plastic And Reconstructive Surgeon

Plastic surgeons perform aesthetic surgical procedures that are usually done at a day-surgery clinic. These patients will be discharge to go home the same day and will be followed up by the specialist accordingly. Reconstructive procedures, though, are performed at acute hospital where the patients will be followed up 1-2 times a day by the specialist until they are discharged.

Plastic surgeons will provide on-call services for the hospitals they work at since emergency cases such as severe lacerations, tissue damage and burn cases may be managed by them. Depending on the amount of specialists that are available, these doctors may need to be on-call 3-4 times a week.

An issue plastic surgeons need to deal with is patients who suffer from body dysmophic disorder. These patients have a psychological problem where they are convinced that they have to change the appearance of part of their body, even though the "flaw" is hardly even noticeable to others. A plastic surgeon would then refer these patients for a psychologist's opinion before considering performing any major aesthetic procedures on them.

Mondays

Mondays are usually administrative days for most doctors. Here, surgical lists as well as patient appointments and meetings with surgical representatives and hospital management are confirmed.

The plastic surgeon will then consult with patients. They will be managed accordingly and this may include performing procedures such as Botox injections, fillers, etc. in the procedure room of the office. Patients who need bigger aesthetic and reconstructive work done on them will have surgical dates booked for day-surgery clinics or larger acute hospitals.

Tuesday

This day usually involves having a full surgical list and may include performing procedures in the hospital such as a superficial skin cancer excision with reconstructive skin flaps done, reconstructive burn surgeries, debridement of old scars or stumps of amputated limbs and reconstructing breast tissue after a mastectomy was done.

Wednesday

The plastic surgeon can also perform minor procedures, in the mornings, that can be done under local anaesthesia or conscious sedation, with the aid of an anaesthesiologist, in the procedure room of their office. 

The afternoon can be reserved for consulting with new patients and following up post-surgical patients.

READ Breast Reduction Plastic Surgery Solves Many Physical Problems

Thursday

Thursdays can also be used to consult with patients, or perform surgeries at the day clinics where patients can be discharged after the procedure in concluded. These procedures are usually aesthetic ones such as those mentioned earlier in the article.

The afternoons can be used for duties such as academic training, further research, filling out motivation forms for medical insurance companies and giving feedback to referring physicians.

Friday

The plastic surgeon will either consult with new patients and perform minor procedures in their rooms, perform aesthetic or minor reconstructive procedures at the day-surgery clinics or perform a couple of larger aesthetic or reconstructive procedures at the acute hospitals.

The afternoons will then be used to finalise any unresolved administrative issues, and the plastic surgeon's work week will end if they are not on-call for the weekend. If they are working the weekend, they will provide care for their patients and any other colleague's patients that have been discussed with them.