On Finding a Surgeon Who Won't Ghost You

Asking these questions at your consult can help ensure a five-star recovery

Broach the subject of plastic surgery—with friends, coworkers, strangers online—and the following themes will, rather predictably, rule the conversation:

• The work celebrities are having done and by whom

• Which surgeon does the best facelift or bleph or breast aug

• The latest too-good-to-be-true B&As on social media

• Techniques said to give the most natural, lasting results

• How much it all costs

While we collectively obsess over the sexier aspects of aesthetics, we tend to focus less on the more sober notion of what happens after surgery—in the hours and days post-op when we’re in the throes of healing. That very vulnerable window of time when complications commonly arise. When we’re swollen and sore, distorted and bruised. When we’re feeling anxious and afraid or maybe even guilty or regretful. When the results we’ve been promised haven’t yet emerged from the chrysalis of recovery.

Journalists are guilty of this too. We often gloss over the unglamorous aftermath of procedures, summarizing the downtime in a sentence or two, tacked on as an obligatory footnote. But underestimating the significance of recovery is a huge mistake, experts tell me, because a surgeon’s attentiveness during this time is what truly shapes a patient’s overall experience and impression of their doctor.

Only recently have I really come to appreciate the critical nature of the recovery period. Two events, both of which I’ve discussed here before, have helped to inform my current understanding.

A couple of years ago, I profiled a surgeon who, unbeknownst to me at the time, had amassed a number of unhappy patients. When the story broke, many of these women reached out to tell me, in explicit detail, why this doctor was deeply unworthy of media recognition. Worse than the physical complications they reported were their tales of neglect and abandonment following surgery, when they were in dire need of support, reassurance, and, in some cases, medical intervention.

Last summer, I did some work for an aesthetics platform, helping to moderate their community forums. Many of the comments came from folks fresh out of surgery, struggling through the recovery. Why were they sharing their most personal photos and fears with virtual strangers? Because they had surgery with doctors who later dismissed their concerns, ignored their calls, or otherwise failed them.

Now, when I encounter a surgeon who appears to prioritize aftercare and recovery, I take note. With board-certified plastic surgeon Daniel J. Gould, MD, PhD, I not only noticed, but sort of marveled at his commitment to patient care. I’d estimate (conservatively) that he films about 90% of his IG stories en route to or inside of a Beverly Hills aftercare facility. He rounds on his post-op patients every morning before going to the OR and every evening after work, subsequently relaying to his followers the highs and lows of healing—patients’ moods, pain levels, side effects, and early reactions to their new reflections.

I managed to catch up with Dr. Gould one Sunday afternoon. When I dialed him at our scheduled time, I got his voicemail, but he quickly called back: “Sorry about that,” he said; “I’m running a little behind in the aftercare.”

Here’s our candid conversation, edited slightly for length and clarity.