The Patient Experience

From the moment you call our office to your final follow-up appointment, our goal is a personalized patient experience. Dr. Starkman has built his practice upon truly dedicating exceptional attention to every patient’s concerns in order to meet and exceed your expectations.

Initial visit

Upon arriving, we will welcome you into our lobby with refreshments. Service is rapid, and we will escort you to a private patient room.

One of our registered nurses will introduce the practice and take your medical history.

You will then have a detailed conversation with Dr. Starkman, covering concerns, goals, and treatment options. We consistently get feedback from our patients regarding the detail and thoroughness of this consultation, allowing them to become fully educated on their option.

If relevant, Dr. Starkman will perform a photographic simulation using Mirror Software.

During the consultation, Dr. Starkman will also use illustrations, animations, and our own patient gallery to help detail your treatment options.

Following the consultation, we will introduce you to our patient coordinator for all details about potential surgery scheduling.

Following the initial consultation, Dr. Starkman encourages all patients to contact him via phone or email, or even return for a second consultation if they have any unanswered questions.

Pre-op visit

If you decide to move forward with surgery, you will have a pre-operative visit within two weeks of your surgery. During this visit, we will complete all paperwork and provide pre-op instructions, all to ensure the day of surgery is stress free.

During the pre-op visit, we also provide all post-op supplies that will be needed during the recovery process—these include written instructions to ensure a smooth recovery and beautiful cosmetic outcome.

We will prescribe any necessary medications, which we will then hold until the day of surgery.

We will schedule the first post-op appointment.

IV sedation

At Starkman Facial Plastic & Laser Surgery, we use local anesthesia with or without IV sedation in all cases.

In all procedures, we exclusively use IV sedation—not general anesthesia—in our AAAASF-Accredited surgery center. IV sedation is always provided by a board-certified anesthesia provider.

With IV sedation, patients are breathing on their own, without the need for a breathing tube or mechanical ventilation.

We also offer Pro-Nox for minor procedures. This is 50/50 mix of nitrous oxide and oxygen. It is patient controlled, so they can breathe in as much as they want. It helps with anxiety and is a distraction from any discomfort. It is quick-acting and wears off within 15 minutes so patients can drive themselves home.

Day of Surgery

You will be called two to three days prior to surgery to review all details, arrival time, instructions, and any further questions you may have.

We ask that patients remove all jewelry and wear tops that are button up or low cut.

You will arrive 30-60 minutes before the scheduled surgery time.

You will be checked in with our surgical staff and brought to the pre-operative area of the practice.

We will provide you with a surgical gown and socks. Your belongings will be stored in a bag for after the surgery.

Just prior to surgery, Dr. Starkman will meet with you to review the plan for surgery. Additionally, if IV sedation is to be used, our board-certified anesthesiologist will also meet to review the anesthesia plan.

We will place an IV for the administration of medication and bring you to the operating room.

Once the procedure is over, we will bring you to the recovery area, where you will recover for a period of several hours. Once you are ready, you will go home with a friend or family member.

Dr. Starkman will call you that evening to check in.

Post-op expectations

Following surgery, we practice close follow-up with all our patients. As mentioned above, we will provide a full list of aftercare instructions to ensure thorough preparation and a smooth recovery. We will provide Arnica Montana to decrease bruising.

While you recover in our recovery suite, Dr. Starkman will check in with you and answer any questions.

Some swelling and bruising is expected, and this will begin to resolve within four days after surgery.

You will be able to reach Dr. Starkman and our staff 24/7 for any post-operative questions or concerns.

One of our registered nurses will reach out four days after surgery to check on your progress

Multiple postoperative visits will be planned over the following weeks and months to continue to evaluate your progress