Out of Town Patients

While the majority of our patients are from South Florida, more and more patients choose to travel to Miami to have their surgery performed by Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Scott McDonald. His reputation for excellence, over twenty five years of experience, and impressive results are unparalleled by most other plastic surgeons.

Surgical Process for Out of Town Patients

CONSULTATION We aim to make the surgery and travel process as smooth and least stressful as possible. Before you take the expense and time to travel to our Miami office, we will schedule a phone consultation between you and the doctor. We want you to save your travel for your surgery and recovery. Plan to be in town for 8-10 days around your surgery date.

PRE-OPERATIVE TESTING Once you and Dr. McDonald agree on the best surgery for you, you’ll be given orders for pre-op testing. This can include blood work, EKG and a chest X-Ray. ALL PATIENTS are required to obtain a Medical Clearance Letter from their Primary Care Physician. Plan for the results to take 48 hours to receive. These should be completed between 2 and 4 weeks prior to the surgery.

GETTING IN TOWN Plan to arrive in town at least 1 day prior to surgery. Dr. McDonald will see you the day before surgery to meet you in person, go over all goals and answer any questions you may still have.

SURGERY DAY Arrive 1 hour prior to the surgery. Surgeries and patients are all different so there is only an estimated length of time. If you are undergoing a procedure requiring anesthesia, have comfort in knowing your anesthesia will be provided by a board certified Anesthesiologist. Once the surgery is complete, and you are awake and up, you’ll need to have someone with you to drive you home from the surgical center. Bring loose clothing and any of the advised post-surgical garments.

POST SURGERY Dr. McDonald will see you at least twice after your surgery; 1 day post and 5-7 days post surgery. If all is healing as expected, you will be cleared for travel after 7 days post op. Keep in mind, all patients heal differently and the post-op plan can vary.

HOME RECOVERY Dr. McDonald aims to use dissolvable sutures, eliminating the need for additional surgical visits. However, cases vary. If you require additional visits once you have returned home, we will work with your hometown doctors office.

No matter how small you feel your surgery is, surgery is still surgery. You will need to rest and recover. For many procedures, the doctor often advises to take off work for one week in order to focus on your recovery.

Accommodations:

As the patient, you are able to choose the best surgical facility suited to your needs. These South Miami and Coconut Grove facilties are conveniently located among fine restaurants, shopping, and hotels allowing patients to relax and recover comfortably.

Whatever we can do to make your stay more enjoyable and comfortable, please let us know. We can assist you in hotel recommendations as well as match you with a home-recovery nurse.