Roundtable: discussion of "the difficult patient"

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Patient Management
• Surgical Communication

Background:

• Managing patient expectations is crucial in facial plastic surgery.
• Difficult patient interactions can arise from unmet aesthetic goals or communication breakdowns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To gather expert insights on handling challenging patient scenarios in facial plastic surgery.
• To provide guidance for surgeons on preventing and managing difficult patient relationships.

Main Methods:

• A panel of eight experienced facial plastic surgeons was convened.
• Surgeons responded to specific questions regarding difficult patient management and prevention strategies.

Main Results:

• Discussion covered managing patient dissatisfaction with surgical outcomes.
• Expert advice was provided on proactive communication and setting realistic expectations to avoid difficult situations.

Conclusions:

• Effective communication and realistic expectation setting are key to mitigating difficult patient interactions.
• Experienced surgeons offer valuable insights for novice practitioners in facial plastic surgery patient care.