Basics of Trauma-Informed Care for the Facial Plastic Surgeon

Patients seek facial plastic surgery to feel better, not only look better. As surgery is an inherently traumatic event, regardless of the result, patients seeking secondary facial plastic surgery procedures should be evaluated for possible traumatic response to prior surgery in initial consultation. Herein, we cover the history of trauma and trauma-informed counseling along with common approaches employed by counselors certified in this therapeutic approach. If signs of traumatic response are identified, trauma-informed counseling offers a valuable intervention to improve care.