Traveling from Out-of-Town
Many patients come to have their surgeries with Dr. Keller from out-of-town, out-of-state, or even out-of-country, especially for revision surgery. Preparing for any surgery can be anxiety-provoking, especially if you are in an unfamiliar city without all of your friends and family around for support. That’s why we take great care to help provide that extra support for you. We have close relationships with a number of nearby hotels, car services, and other amenities to meet any need and every budget. And, we can arrange for a stay of just one night or even a whole week at one of the terrific aftercare facilities in the area. These facilities have dedicated nurses who will help make your recovery as easy as possible. While you will need the first few days after surgery for recovery, most of our procedures do not require a prolonged convalescence. You won’t want to hike through the Santa Barbara, but you will probably be feeling up to light activities within a few days. So, many of our out-of-town patients spend some time enjoying everything Santa Barbara has to offer either before or after surgery. We are centrally located in the West Hollywood/Beverly Hills area and convenient to great shopping, dining, and entertainment venues, and we’re more than happy to give you our top recommendations.
Consultations for our Out-of-Town Patients
Cosmetic surgery is a substantial investment of your time and money, and we recognize that out-of-town consultations can present special challenges. So, we have developed a system that adapts to your needs. It would be ideal if you were able to take time from work and other obligations to come and meet us and tour our facility in advance of your surgery. But we realize that isn’t always possible. We want to do what we can to save you the expense and inconvenience of multiple visits. Most of the time, we can do our initial consultations by phone if you send us high-quality photos that illustrate your concerns. Once you decide to proceed with surgery with Dr.Keller, you can undergo your preoperative testing and medical clearance, if necessary, somewhere convenient to you. And, you can be assured of complete discretion during your stay here and throughout our correspondence. You should plan to arrive at Dr. Keller one or two days before your scheduled procedure so that we have a chance to meet personally, examine you, and review your concerns, imaging, and the goals of the procedure. Rarely, the surgical plan may change slightly based on our discussion and assessment, and we want to leave ample time to answer your questions and ensure your total comfort.
Special Considerations for our Out-of-Town Patients
Your safety and satisfaction are our primary concerns. If you’re traveling a long distance to see us, there are a few extra precautions that we need to consider. We’ll want to see you in the office several times in the first week after surgery to ensure that your healing is progressing exactly as expected. We will give you extensive information regarding postoperative care and we’ll review it with you at each visit to make sure you’re comfortable with what you’re seeing at home every step of the way.
Long car or plane rides of more than several hours are not a good idea in the first week after surgery. Prolonged immobility as well as pressurized air and poor air quality in airplanes can increase the risks of bleeding, infection or clotting problems immediately after surgery. And, we don’t want you to be far from help in the rare event of a problem. So, you should plan to spend at least one week nearby after your surgery. If you can afford two weeks, that’s even better. Beyond that, the chances for problems are significantly reduced, so you should feel safe and comfortable returning home. And, we’re always available by phone or email at any time of day or night should you have urgent questions. Long-term follow-up is very important to us. It’s the only way that we can be absolutely sure that we are doing the best we can for our patients. So, we’ll want to keep in touch regularly and have you back for occasional visits up to one year or longer after surgery.
While the idea of surgery away from home can be a little daunting, we want to reassure you that we’ll do all we can to remove the worry and to make you feel as much at home away from home as possible. Please call us to start helping make your arrangements.
Suggested Accommodations for our Out-of-Town Patients are:
- Best Western Enciana Lodge
- Bacara Resort and Spa
- Four Season Resort – Biltmore
