Equipping your facial plastic clinic for office‐based procedures

Abstract

Office‐based procedures can be a fulfilling part of the facial plastic practice with the right tools, personnel, and preparation. Equipping the clinic for office‐based procedures has several unique considerations that ultimately impact its success. It is important to strategize preemptively regarding what treatments will be offered and the respective equipment that will allow the safe, cost‐effective, and high‐quality delivery of those treatments. Most procedures in the office‐based setting are cosmetic in nature and there are often overlapping treatment modalities that target similar outcomes. Patient selection and counseling is a crucial step in preparing for office‐based procedures in the effort to maximize patient satisfaction. Nearly all the most common facial plastic procedures can be delivered in the office‐based based setting under local anesthesia and moderate sedation, depending on the expertise of the surgeon. To enable these and other categories of treatments, there are certain expensive pieces of technology that one might consider for their office‐based practice and other fundamental supplies that are necessary for almost all practices. Though the initial investment in equipment can be costly, this article also discusses more affordable alternatives or third‐party sales of devices and equipment. The field of facial plastic surgery is very dynamic and having both peer and mentorship networks is invaluable in navigating some of the financial decisions discussed herein. This article also briefly covers personnel, training, and accreditation considerations.