Your first appointment at MOT Plastic Surgery is a conversation, not a commitment. It is there so you can describe what is bothering you, so Dr Maryam Seyedabadi can examine the relevant anatomy, and so you leave with a clear picture of what surgery can and cannot change for you. Nothing is decided on the day.

What to bring

A little preparation makes the appointment more useful.

• Your referral. In Australia a referral from a registered medical practitioner is required before a consultation for cosmetic surgery, and a referral from your usual GP is preferred because they know your history.
• A list of your current medications and supplements, including anything that affects bleeding, such as aspirin, anti-inflammatories, fish oil or vitamin E.
• Details of previous surgery, particularly any operation in the area you want treated, and any problems you had with an anaesthetic.
• Relevant imaging or pathology reports, if you already have them.
• Your questions, written down. Most people forget at least one.

What happens during the appointment

Dr Maryam will take a history, then examine the area you are concerned about. Photographs are taken as a standard part of surgical planning, with your consent, and they stay in your medical record. For some procedures a measurement or a specific test is needed, for example a visual field test where upper eyelid skin appears to be affecting your vision.

She will then talk through the options. That includes the alternatives to surgery and the option of doing nothing, the technique she would suggest and why, where any scar would sit, the recovery involved, and the risks and possible complications. If your anatomy is within a normal range, or if the timing is not right, she will tell you that rather than propose a procedure.

Fees and the cooling-off period

Fees are quoted in writing after your consultation, once the surgical plan, anaesthetic and hospital requirements are known. That quote covers the surgeon, the anaesthetist and the facility. Some reconstructive procedures may attract a Medicare item number, while purely cosmetic surgery does not, so it is worth checking your own eligibility with your fund.

A cooling-off period of at least seven days applies between giving informed consent and having cosmetic surgery, and at least three months for patients under 18, who also require assessment by an appropriate registered health practitioner. That time exists so you can read the written information without pressure and come back with more questions.

You can bring someone with you

You are welcome to bring a partner, a friend or a family member. A chaperone is available for any examination. If you would prefer to discuss something without anyone else present, say so and that will be arranged.

To arrange a consultation at 2c Heeley Street, Paddington, call 1300 067 668.