Q: I am considering having cosmetic surgery and I started wondering: What would happen if I were unhappy with the results? Would I have to pay for the surgery again? How about the hospital and the anesthesiologist? And what would happen if I had a complication after surgery? Would my insurance cover the costs of hospitalization?

A. These are great questions. And, as always, the answers differ with each doctor. Ask your physician these questions during your consultation.

If you are unsatisfied with your surgery simply because you do not like the results, the answer you might get is going to be different than if the physician did something wrong during surgery. As for the money question, many doctors do not have the ability to operate out of their office, so the costs involved in redoing your surgery will vary. Some companies sell insurance to patients who are going to have plastic surgery in case a problem arises and they need to be hospitalized. This, of course, has to be purchased prior to the surgery.

Here is what I would do. Ask your doctor what his or her policy is about redoing surgery if the need arises. Ask how often he or she needs to redo surgery in patients who undergo the procedure you are about to have done. Don't forget to ask about the cost to you should you need to have additional surgery performed in the hospital, as well as the cost of the anesthesiologists.

It would seem prudent to find a physician to do your surgery that has access to his own surgical suite or has an arrangement with an outpatient surgical center to provide for a reasonable cost should you need to have a revision to your surgery. Of course, most surgeries do not have to be redone, but it's always better to be prepared. Good luck.

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