SAFE: a practical guide to psychological factors in selecting patients for facial cosmetic surgery

Selecting appropriate patients for facial cosmetic surgery can reduce patient management problems as well as increase the number of patients satisfied with their treatment and with the aesthetic result. In addition to medical considerations, the psychological make-up of a particular patient should play an important role in the decision to operate. Research with 55 patients undergoing aesthetic regenerative facial surgery has produced data which indicate particular personality characteristics to consider in the selection process. These four characteristics--self-evaluation of attractiveness, anxiety, fear, and expectation--are represented by the acronym SAFE; they are presented in this article along with the techniques for a surgeon to use when evaluating a patient for each characteristic. This method aids in selecting SAFE patients for surgery.