It is a curious thing.  Patients research their plastic surgeons for years sometimes.  Yet, despite selecting that plastic surgeon out of thousands to perform a procedure, they end up creating nightmare scenarios simply because of who they are.   A word of caution:  Please do not burn the bridge with your plastic surgeon.  Your plastic surgeon wants you to succeed and will have have more compassion for you than another random surgeon who has not interacted with you.

Dr. Kenneth Hughes, Harvard-trained, board-certified plastic surgeon, has performed tens of thousands of surgical procedures in his career in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills.  During that time, Dr. Hughes has met thousands of patients who have been pleased with the results and appreciate of his skills and his care.  Also during that time, he has met a few patients that you would not wish on your worst enemy.

What makes a bad patient?

Bad patient #1. One type of bad patient has so much anxiety or so many neuroses, that the consultation and the never-ending litany of questions can really drag down overall morale of the surgeon and the practice team alike.  Dr. Hughes has received hundreds and even thousands of emails from a single patient.  These patients should be avoided, if at all possible, because they will be an absolute nightmare after surgery.

Bad patient #2. There is another type of bad patient who thinks that he or she knows more than the plastic surgeon with whom they are consulting.  This person is a danger to him or herself and everyone around.  Some people despite obvious evidence to the contrary have developed an overinflated sense of self.  Even highly educated people like lawyers or other doctors are the merest dilettantes or neophytes in the field of cosmetic plastic surgery despite their immense research done with the aid of Google search.  These patients are incapable of leaving their ego when delving into a realm of ignorance and should be avoided at all costs.

Bad patient #3.  This patient does not listen to any of the post-surgical instructions and does not follow the protocols despite being told and reminded, in some cases, dozens of times.  These individuals will sabotage any surgery, no matter how trivial.  These patients will clean an incision with betadine until it opens despite receiving instructions to leave the incisions dry and the dressings intact.  This patient will walk 5 miles after a butt implant surgery and push the implant through the incision.  This patient will not strip the drains and cause the incisions to leak and open.

These patients, despite bringing the complications upon themselves, also possess the overwhelming ability to blame the surgeon for doing something incorrectly during surgery.  These are patently absurd in their analysis, and the plastic surgeon will have to make the decision about whether or not to fire the patient from the practice for their noncompliance and disrespectful behavior.