Nobody likes filling out forms. It feels like a chore to show up 30 minutes early, only to sit in an uncomfortable chair in the waiting room checking endless boxes. Well, at Dr. Brantner’s office we’ve provided more comfortable chairs and an easier way to fill out your medical forms. Why are medical forms so important?
What to Know about Medical Forms
We do our best to keep your paperwork to a minimum, but medical forms are necessary for your health and protection. When you make an appointment with Dr. Brantner, you’ll need to read and sign these forms:
Financial Policy (ensures that patients understand copays, insurance, and their financial responsibilities)
Advanced Healthcare Directive (information about patients’ rights to make their own healthcare decisions)
Consent for Photography (allows Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery to take photographs when necessary for a procedure)
PHI Consent (Information regarding the privacy of your protected health information)
You’ll also need to fill out the following forms:
New Patient Intake/History (gives our healthcare professionals necessary information regarding your health, medical history, and family history)
Registration Info (Personal and insurance information of the patient)
Tips for Filling Out Medical Forms
Save time by downloading your medical forms from our website, filling them out at home, and bringing them with you to your appointment.
If you cannot fill out your forms prior to your appointment, arrive early so you have time to do so before your scheduled appointment.
Read each form thoroughly before signing.
Notify our office about current medications (including how frequently you take them), as well as over-the-counter drugs and vitamin supplements, which can affect healing.
Know your health history and family medical history before your appointment.
Double check your health information for accuracy before we add it to our records.
No two surgeries are exactly alike, and Dr. Brantner tailors each procedure to the health, history, and desired outcome of each patient. Dr. Brantner consults with each patient prior to surgery to determine how to give them the best results. But good results rely on more than finding a skilled, experienced plastic surgeon. They rely on the patient too. Want to get amazing plastic surgery results? Avoid these bad habits.
5 Ways Patients Can Ruin Their Results
Withhold information. You may not think a previous procedure is relevant, but leaving it off your medical history form could seriously impact your surgery and recovery. Past procedures and health complications may affect the safety of your surgery, or they may change how Dr. Brantner approaches the procedure. It’s always safer to give too much information instead of too little.
Forget about current medications. When filling out their current medications form, many patients only consider prescription meds. But aspirin, vitamins, and over-the-counter medications can seriously impact your procedure and recovery. Notify your doctor’s office about all your current medications and supplements, even if you take them infrequently.
Lay out in the sun. Sun exposure lead to complications with non-surgical procedures like laser hair removal and chemical peels. The sun also makes scars more noticeable. Avoid sun exposure after a procedure, and always protect your skin by covering up with sunscreen, sunglasses, and a sun hat.
Smoke. Smoking affects the skin’s ability to heal, leading to a longer recovery. It also increases the risk of infection, scarring, and other complications. For the sake of your health, we recommend you never smoke, but if you’re intent on keeping the habit, you should quit at least 2 weeks prior to surgery and refrain from smoking during recovery.
Decide the rules don’t apply. Your doctor gives instructions based on knowledge and experience. His goal is to give each patient the best possible results, as well as protecting their overall health. Ignoring your surgeon’s treatment plan, recovery instructions, or prescribed medications is the fastest way to ruin your results.
For more information on plastic surgery in Johnson City, TN, call Dr. Brantner’s office.
As July comes to a close, folks around Johnson City are taking advantage of the last few weeks of summer. Everyone enjoys days spent by the pool or lake, outdoor adventures, and last-minute trips to the beach. And playing in the sun is a great way to boost your vitamin D and have fun with the people you love. But exposure to UV rays also increases your risk of skin cancer. Do you know the signs of melanoma? Early detection through self-examination is the key to catching skin cancer while it’s still curable.
Melanoma Protection
You don’t have to stay indoors to protect yourself from skin cancer. Follow these tips from the Skin Cancer Foundation to reduce your risk of melanoma.
Wear SPF of 15 or higher anytime you go outside
Use broad spectrum sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB rays
Don’t let your skin burn
Never tan or visit tanning beds
Apply 1 ounce of sunscreen 15-30 minutes before going outside
Cover up with protective clothing and sunglasses
Sit in the shade during the hottest part of the day
Do a self-exam monthly and schedule an annual skin exam with a physician
How to Detect Melanoma
Atypical moles are the primary sign of melanoma. When performing your self-exam, look for:
Asymmetrical moles
Moles with an uneven border or scalloped edges
Multiple colors in the same mole
Moles the size of a pencil eraser or larger
Moles that change shape, size, or color
Protect your skin this summer. If you find a mole that matches the warning signs of melanoma, make an appointment with a physician. For more information about detecting and treating skin cancer, call Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
Breast implants are a personal choice. The opinions of the people around you shouldn’t affect which implant you choose. In the end, it’s your body, and your satisfaction is what matters. But we live in a world that glorifies unachievable beauty standards for women. It’s hard to turn a corner without overly slim, stuffed, and photoshopped women staring at you from billboards, storefronts, and websites. So how can you achieve a breast that’s full and natural without falling prey to the “bigger is always better” mentality of the media?
How Big Is Too Big?
Many people find full breasts attractive, whether they’re observing someone else or looking in a mirror. But there’s a point when large breasts cross the line into top heavy. Too large breasts can make a woman’s chest wall look broader, which tricks the eye, making a woman look heavier than she is. Using an implant that’s too large can stretch the skin, make the breasts look fake, and even cause back and neck pain down the road. But with clothing cuts, photoshopped models, and the unsolicited opinions of family and friends all calling for attention, how can a woman find the ideal breast size?
How to Find the Right Size Implant
There is no one size fits all. Every woman has a different shape, different measurements, and a different way she carries her body weight. So it’s impossible to say that no woman should exceed, say, 350cc implants. At your breast augmentation consultation, Dr. Brantner will measure your chest wall and existing breast tissue. He will ask you questions about your lifestyle, how your body responds to diet and exercise, and your desired breast size. If you have concerns about how or where you gain/lose weight, mention them to Dr. Brantner when discussing the best breast size for your body. With decades of experience in helping patients choose their ideal breast size, Dr. Brantner has an artist’s eye for balanced body proportions and a surgeon’s knowledge of complications certain implant choices may cause. Consider his recommendations carefully. If he feels your choice of implant may have negative consequences to your health or appearance, he may advise you to find another surgeon.
Your lifestyle affects your implant choice. You may think that because you have a similar weight and body shape to a friend, you’ll need the same size implants. But a variety of factors affect which implant size is right for you. Your body type is one factor, but so is your level of physical activity, your job, and what you hope to get out of the surgery. A bodybuilder, for example, may choose smaller breast implants placed under her pectoral muscles, while a freelance consultant wouldn’t need to worry about how her implants may affect on her career.
What’s a good guideline when choosing breast size? Shorter women with narrower chest walls should steer toward smaller implants. Taller women with broad chests sometimes need larger implants to balance the proportions of their bodies. Women who are active should consider smaller implants, since larger breasts can become cumbersome during frequent, intense physical activity.
Summer makes everyone uncomfortably aware of their own body hair. If you have European “let it grow” sensibilities, the thought of an overgrown bikini line or dark hair on your face might not bother you. But many men and women dislike the process of shaving, shaving, shaving to get rid of unwanted body hair. Laser hair removal targets the hair follicle to reduce or eliminate unwanted body hair. After a few treatments, many patients can stop shaving, waxing, or plucking for good.
Are You a Good Candidate for Laser Hair Removal?
Some people see laser hair removal as a quick, permanent fix to unwanted body hair. And it’s true that in most cases, laser hair removal permanently reduces unwanted hair. Hair that grows back will be lighter, thinner, and overall less noticeable (if it grows back at all). But laser hair removal treatments require forethought and planning. It takes time, especially when covering large areas like the legs. Even smaller surfaces like the armpits or bikini line requires multiple treatments. Determine if you’re a good candidate for laser hair removal by answering these questions:
Do I dark, thick, or otherwise unwanted body hair?
Is that hair in a treatable area (back, chest, bikini area, neck, face, etc)?
Do I have the budget for laser hair removal, which is not covered by insurance?
Have I spoken to my physician about whether laser hair removal is right for me?
How to Prepare for Your Appointment
Protect your skin. Skin irritation is laser hair removal’s worst enemy, so make sure you don’t wax, get sunburned, or otherwise irritate your skin before a laser hair removal treatment.
Stay out of the sun. Not only is skin irritation detrimental to your treatment, lighter skin makes it easier it is to target hair follicles.
Keep it clean. Stay away from sunless tanner, as well as everyday products like deodorant and perfume. Keep the area clean before your appointment.
Shave, don’t wax or pluck. Laser hair removal targets the pigment in the hair follicle. This requires a smooth surface (so shave before you come), but also requires the hair to be present beneath the skin. If you wax or pluck in the weeks before laser hair removal, you’ll have to reschedule your appointment.
Be consistent. Most people require 2-6 laser hair removal treatments. If you skip treatments or ignore your doctor’s recommended schedule, your treatments will become less effective.
Sooth your skin. The treated area may be irritated for a few days. A cool compress will reduce any redness or swelling. Stay out of the sun and use only fragrance-free soaps and lotions.
To learn more about laser hair removal, schedule an appointment with Dr. Brantner.
We do our best to keep your paperwork to a minimum, but medical forms are necessary for your health and protection. When you make an appointment with Dr. Brantner, you’ll need to read and sign these forms:
