During your consultation be prepared to discuss:

• Your surgical goals
• Medical conditions, drug allergies, and medical treatments
• Current medications, vitamins, herbal supplements, alcohol, tobacco, and drug use
• Previous surgeries

Your surgeon will also:

• Evaluate your general health status and any pre-existing health conditions or risk factors
• Take photographs
• Discuss your hand surgery options
• Recommend a course of treatment
• Discuss likely outcomes of hand surgery and any risks or potential complications

Prior to surgery, you may be asked to:

• Get lab testing or a medical evaluation
• Take certain medications or adjust your current medications
• Stop smoking
• Avoid taking aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs, and herbal supplements as they can increase bleeding

Your plastic surgeon will also discuss where your procedure will be performed. Depending on the type of surgery you will undergo, your procedure may be performed in your plastic surgeon's accredited office-based surgical facility, a licensed ambulatory surgical center, or a hospital.

Be sure to ask your plastic surgeon questions. It's very important to understand all aspects of your hand surgery. It's natural to feel some anxiety. Don't be shy about discussing these feelings with your plastic surgeon.