About

Small problems that grow when ignored

A small skin or recovery problem can become a bigger one when it is ignored, and the best time to notice it is while it is still small.

Warning signs, scars and the call to your surgeon

The topics are early warning signs after procedures, scar care, and when to call the surgeon. For a sense of the kind of questions that come up before surgery, a plastic surgery society's eyelid surgery questions page is one example of how a patient-facing page can be organized.

From complication reports back to the first sign

Each topic starts from published complication reports and works backward to the earliest detectable sign. A systematic review and meta-analysis on upper eyelid blepharoplasty techniques and results is an example of the kind of published work read in that way.

Look first, then ask

• Start with what to look for.
• Say plainly what a source does not tell you.
• Send the reader back to their own surgeon for decisions.

Recovery is a part of every procedure, and it deserves its own attention. A plastic surgery society's piece on what to expect from rhinoplasty recovery is a good example of a page that gives recovery its own space.

Warning signs, with Bellevue in mind

Facial procedures and the recoveries that follow them happen close to home for Bellevue readers. Whether surgery is still ahead or healing is already under way, the warning signs and questions in these pages are meant for that reader.

Start with the article nearest your worry

If you are reading before a consult or in the middle of a recovery, start with the article closest to your question and write down what you want to ask your surgeon.