Psychological and aesthetic considerations in outpatient facial plastic surgery.

The surgeon, medical and nonmedical staff, and the reception, consultation, treatment, surgical, and recovery areas constitute the basic elements of the office operating room complex. In reality these elements are an inseparable dynamic unit; however, for the purpose of discussion they have been examined separately to study their particular aesthetic and nonaesthetic psychological contributions to outpatient surgery. Knowing why a patient forms certain attitudes about the doctor, the office staff, and the office or suite and having some insight into how a patient perceives these same elements are very important to the young practitioner of facial plastic surgery. It is possible that in the contemporary medical world where there are many surgeons of equal ability, success may depend on understanding these psychological aspects.