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If you wanted to see a doctor just ten short years ago, it was a real hassle. First, you’d have to make an appointment and hope they could see you in two to three weeks. Then on the day of your appointment, you’d have to fight traffic to get to the office where you would wait in a packed waiting room filled with coughing and sneezing people.

A doctor’s visit in those days was (and in many cases still is) a half-day affair.

Thanks to modern technology, doctor appointments are now being handled online. All you need is a high-speed internet connection, your laptop, and a webcam. The doctor will meet you online at a specified date and time where he will give you your consultation.

While virtual doctor consultations may sound like something straight out of Star Trek, they have their drawbacks. We’re going to look at the pros and cons of virtual consultations and give you enough information to make an informed decision.

What Benefits Are There to Virtual Consultations?

The main benefit of these online consultations is convenience. This especially goes for plastic surgeons whose services are sought out by people all over the country. Dr. Adams has built a reputation over the years as being THE go-to surgeon for many plastic surgery procedures. Many patients don’t want to take a chance on other surgeons because the success of their procedure is very important to them.

Convenience

When it comes to plastic surgery, not all board-certified surgeons are the same. Many plastic surgery procedures, such as rhinoplasty, are all about aesthetics and require not only a trained hand, but an eye for beauty and asymmetry.

Best chances of success and patient happiness come from doctors who have an artistic hand and eye for beauty. Many people from different states will travel long distances to get their procedure performed by Dr. Adams.

The issue with traveling is that it can cost upwards of several hundred to a few thousand dollars once you factor in airfare, hotel, food, car rental, and misc. expenses. This is where a virtual consultation is beneficial. The patient can log online and speak directly to Dr. Adams in real time where he will listen to your concerns and give his recommendations.

Post-operative Care

Many procedures performed by Dr. Adams will require follow-up doctor visits a few weeks to a few months after they have been completed. Some people may find that taking time out of their busy day to drive in traffic to his office may be inconvenient.

The same goes for patients who flew into Dallas to get work done. Dr. Adams can consult virtually, thereby eliminating the need for you to come into his office. This will save you both time and money.

Second Opinion

If you would like a second opinion on work you have gotten done or would like to do, a virtual consultation with Dr. Adams would also be very beneficial. It will give you peace of mind knowing that a 2nd surgeon agrees or disagrees with the initial consultation that you received from your first doctor.

Downsides to Virtual Consultation

Despite the many conveniences that virtual surgeon consultations offer, there are a few downsides:

Technology

Your virtual consultation is only as good as the quality of your webcam, internet connection, and computer. If you have an older computer with a low-res webcam and have a slow internet connection, the surgeon is going to have a hard time seeing you and your body. This could lead to inaccurate assessments if the image quality is blurry or pixelated.

2D instead of 3D

When a surgeon sees you in real life, he’s looking at you in three dimensions. When he sees you on a computer screen, you and your body appear in two dimensions. The assessment he gives you online is only as good as the image that appears on his computer screen. When he sees you in person, he may update the assessment based on new information that the video consultation did not show.

Depersonalized Experience

While Dr. Adams makes every effort to give his virtual consultation patients an honest and personalized experience, the act of chatting via online video can be a bit “clinical” and depersonalized. Sitting down with Dr. Adams for a consultation in his office is much more personalized than talking to him via webcam.

It’s always best for a surgeon or doctor to see their patients in real life. Until such a time when “virtual reality” becomes a household norm, patients and prospective patients will always get more value from an in-person consultation. However, online consultations do have their benefits in certain situations as described above.

Dr. Adams Virtual Consultation

If you’d like to learn more about a virtual consultation with Dr. Adams or would like to schedule one, give us a call at (214) 965-9885. Dr. Adams is a world-renowned plastic surgeon and the host of the popular plastic surgery channel “No Spin Live,” where he and his colleagues discuss various plastic surgery trends and hot topic issues.