Plastic Surgery Questions, Answered
The questions patients ask before they ever pick up the phone: consultations, anesthesia, preparation, recovery, insurance, and how to judge a surgeon. Answered plainly here, by the practice.
Questions about a specific operation live on that procedure's own page — start from Procedures or the Medical Spa.
The consultation
What the first visit is, and how to make the most of it.
What happens at a plastic surgery consultation?
Every consultation at Pacific Sound Plastic Surgery is with Dr. Day himself, and it is unhurried by design. You talk through your goals, he examines the anatomy involved and reviews your health history, and you get an honest recommendation — which may be a smaller procedure than you expected, a different one, or the advice to wait. You leave with a clear plan and a complete written quote, never a hard sell.
What questions should I ask a plastic surgeon?
Six questions do most of the work. Are you certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery? Where will my surgery be performed, and is the facility accredited? Who administers the anesthesia? How often do you perform my specific procedure? What is your revision policy? And who do I reach if something worries me on a Saturday night? A qualified surgeon answers all six comfortably.
Will imaging be part of my planning?
Where it sharpens the plan, yes. Breast augmentation planning uses high-resolution imaging with in-office sizers so you preview sizes on your own body before deciding, and rhinoplasty is planned in three dimensions with goal imaging so you and Dr. Day agree on the destination before surgery is scheduled. Shared expectations are the point.
Safety and anesthesia
Where surgery happens, and who keeps you asleep and safe.
What anesthesia will I have?
It is matched to the procedure: general anesthesia for major surgery, IV sedation or local anesthesia with sedation for smaller operations, and topical numbing for many office treatments. Anesthesia for surgery is administered by a board-certified anesthesiologist or CRNA, and your health history shapes the anesthetic plan well before the day arrives.
Is outpatient plastic surgery safe?
Performed in the right setting and within the right limits, yes. Dr. Day operates at four accredited facilities — Swedish Medical Center, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, Carillon Point Surgery Center, and Sound Plastic Surgery Center — and outpatient combination plans respect explicit limits on operating time. You go home the same day in the care of a trusted adult, with direct access to the clinical team through recovery.
Preparing for surgery
The two preparation rules that protect your result most.
Do I really have to stop smoking before surgery?
Yes, and it is one of the few absolute rules. Nicotine constricts the small blood vessels your healing depends on, raising the risk of wound problems and poor scars. The rule covers every nicotine source — cigarettes, vaping, pouches, and patches — for four to six weeks before and after surgery. Quitting for that window is one of the strongest things you can do for your result.
What medications and supplements do I need to stop?
Blood thinners, NSAIDs such as ibuprofen, fish oil, vitamin E, and certain herbal supplements including St. John's Wort pause roughly two weeks before surgery because they increase bleeding. GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy pause at least two weeks before anesthesia, per anesthesia-society guidance. Prescription medications are never stopped without coordination — you receive a specific written list at your pre-operative visit.
Recovery
The shared arc behind every procedure's timeline.
How long does recovery from plastic surgery take?
Most procedures here follow one arc: walking the day after surgery, desk work during the first week, exercise building from week two at half effort, and full activity at four to six weeks. Swelling resolves over three to six months and scars mature over twelve to eighteen. Each procedure's page carries its specific timeline, and your recovery calendar is mapped before surgery, never after.
Why do I need a compression garment, and for how long?
Compression controls swelling and helps skin settle onto its new contour. The house rule is 23-and-3: worn twenty-three hours a day for a minimum of three weeks, and up to three months for the best result. For body procedures the garment is included in your surgical fee.
What will my scars look like?
Every operation here is planned scar-first: incisions routed into creases, natural borders, and lines the eye does not search. Scars run pink and firm early, then fade and flatten over twelve to eighteen months, supported by silicone-based scar care and disciplined sun protection. A scar you can find in the mirror is not the same as a scar anyone notices in life.
Insurance and cost
What coverage actually turns on, and how pricing works here.
Does insurance cover plastic surgery?
Cosmetic surgery, no. Reconstructive and functional surgery, often: breast reduction with documented symptoms, functional upper-eyelid surgery, breast reconstruction under federal law, panniculectomy for medical skin problems, and gender-affirming surgery with proper documentation are the common examples. The office verifies benefits and manages pre-authorization, and you get a straight answer about your case before anything is scheduled.
What is the difference between reconstructive and cosmetic surgery?
Reconstructive surgery restores form and function after cancer, trauma, or congenital difference; cosmetic surgery is elective refinement of healthy anatomy. The same surgeon performs both here, to the same standard. The distinction matters chiefly to your insurance company, which covers the first and not the second.
How does pricing work?
In writing, itemized, before you commit: surgeon's fee, facility, anesthesia, and follow-up care in one quote. Procedure pages on this site carry starting figures where the practice publishes them, and financing is available through CareCredit and Alphaeon Credit.
Financing OptionsChoosing a surgeon, honestly
The credential that matters, and the expectations that hold up.
What does board-certified actually mean?
“Plastic surgeon” is a title; certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery is a credential — the only plastic-surgery board recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties. Dr. Day is double board-certified, in plastic surgery and general surgery. Any surgeon's certification can be verified on the ABPS website, and a good one will be glad you checked.
How do I set realistic expectations?
Surgery improves; it does not perfect. Good planning makes the improvement concrete: imaging where it helps, honest conversation about trade-offs, and a surgeon willing to say what an operation cannot do. The consultation is where expectations get calibrated — if a result is unlikely, you hear it there, and if a smaller procedure serves you better, that is the recommendation you get.
Is it normal to feel self-conscious about wanting plastic surgery?
Completely. Most patients arrive having thought about it for years, and many tell no one outside this office. The decision is private, the reasons are yours, and the practice treats both accordingly — no judgment, and no assumptions about your goals.