An increasing number of people are undergoing cosmetic plastic surgery procedures in an effort to improve their appearance. These procedures can be painful and expensive, and they are usually not paid for by insurance.

Do patients have any recourse if they think the results are not what they expected or not what was promised?

Patients can file a malpractice lawsuit if the physician made medical errors, but what can be done if the patient just doesn’t like the results?

One of the difficulties is beauty is in the eyes of the beholder; thus, there may be differing opinions concerning whether or not the results are good or bad. The plastic surgeon may think the results are technically excellent. However, the patient isn't that interested in how difficult the procedure was but how good the final product looks.

A recent article discussed the best ways to determine the outcomes of cosmetic plastic surgery. Questionnaires were developed to obtain the views of the patients who underwent various procedures.