Remote consultation checklist

Preparing for a First Online Plastic Surgery Consultation

A first online consultation is best used to organize goals, history, records and questions. It can support preliminary planning but cannot replace physical examination, testing, diagnosis, final consent or travel clearance.

Published by Shanghai Xingyi Baiweier GroupFirst published 2026-08-23Last materially updated 2026-08-23Institutional planning informationSources and review basis

SECTION 01

Prepare honest, consistent visual information

Use recent photographs in even light, without filters, beauty modes or intentional posing. Include the views requested by the clinical team and avoid sending identifiable medical images through an unapproved public channel.

A short video may show movement when requested, but it still cannot reproduce palpation, airway, eye, dental or skin examination. Ask how your files are stored and who can access them.

  • Use a plain background and neutral expression.
  • Include dates and label left and right where relevant.
  • Send only through the provider's approved private route.

SECTION 02

Write a concise clinical history

List diagnoses, operations, hospitalizations, allergies, medicines, supplements, nicotine use and prior treatment in the same area. Include implant, filler or graft details when known.

Do not stop medicine or change nicotine, diet or fasting based on generic website instructions. The treating and anesthesia teams must provide individualized directions after review.

SECTION 03

Use the call to identify what remains unknown

Ask which goals seem relevant for in-person assessment, what records or tests may be needed and which decisions cannot be made remotely. Confirm the expected operating doctor, facility and language support without treating the call as final consent.

A trustworthy answer can include uncertainty or a recommendation not to proceed. Avoid any service that guarantees suitability, result or safety from photographs alone.

SECTION 04

Leave travel and finance provisional

The care pathway depends on the final procedure and assessment. If the treating team selects general anesthesia and the patient is clinically cleared, the group's common planning pathway is about two inpatient days of observation. A local-anesthesia case may leave the same day after observation and discharge clearance. If external sutures are used, review or removal is often considered around day 7, but the treating team sets the actual schedule. International patients should travel only after clinical clearance.

Do not purchase inflexible travel because an online call went well. Any written quote should identify remote assumptions; the consultation and finance team can update it when examination confirms or changes the scope.

  • Allow arrival time before any planned procedure.
  • Request a list of required in-person steps.
  • Wait for clinical clearance before the return journey.

CARE PATHWAY

The care pathway depends on the final procedure

  • 01Anesthesia, observation and inpatient needs cannot be decided from the procedure name alone. They depend on the final technique, medical history and treating team’s assessment.
  • 02Within the group’s typical planning, general-anesthesia surgery may include about two inpatient days, while some local-anesthesia procedures may permit same-day departure after observation and clinical clearance.
  • 03When removable external sutures are used, review or removal is often planned around day 7, but the doctor and individual healing determine the actual date.
These timings describe a typical planning pathway, not a promise or personal discharge instruction. The treating doctor’s assessment, the exact procedure, anesthesia, test results and recovery always control the final plan.

CONSULTATION CHECKLIST

What to confirm before making a decision

  1. 01Prepare unfiltered photographs through a secure channel.
  2. 02Send a complete health, medicine and prior-procedure history.
  3. 03Write goals, limits and functional symptoms separately.
  4. 04Ask what cannot be confirmed until in-person assessment.
  5. 05Keep quote and travel plans provisional.

FAQ

Questions patients often ask

These answers provide general context. A treating doctor must interpret them for an individual case.

Can an online consultation confirm I am suitable for surgery?

No. It can organize preliminary information, but suitability and the final plan require clinical assessment and any necessary tests.

Should I use edited photos to show my goal?

Edited images may illustrate a preference but cannot predict an achievable result. Always include accurate unfiltered views.

Can I receive a provisional quote online?

The consultation and finance team may provide a tailored provisional quote if the likely scope is clear, but it should state assumptions and remain subject to examination.

Is the online call the consent appointment?

It should not replace informed consent with the treating clinician after examination, risk discussion and confirmation of the actual plan.

SOURCES & REVIEW BASIS

External references for general context

These references support general education and review context only. They do not establish an individual diagnosis, treatment plan, discharge date or travel clearance.

This guide is general institutional information, not diagnosis, personal medical advice, a treatment recommendation, a price quotation or a promise of outcome. Suitability, risks, anesthesia, recovery, costs and travel timing require an in-person assessment, a defined plan and written informed consent.
WhatsApp