Timing of Surgery

There were several reports over the holidays about the numbers of cosmetic surgeries and even reconstructive surgeries going up.  Is this just a typical cycle or is this an indication that the economy is improving?   It is true that all hospital admissions went down during the past few years –  a direct result of the recession.    When you are worried about the stability of the job market you are unlikely to take time off from work for an elective procedure or want to dig deep to pay those deductibles.    There for it is a good sign that elective procedures were up in December.  There is also the timing factor though.  Although there is no “convenient’ time to schedule an elective procedure –  there are less inconvenient times.    Timing a surgical procedure around a holiday can allow you to “steal” some more time off work.  A lot of offices are closed between Christmas and New Years which can allow you to to recover without sick days.  There are other times during the year when you can “steal ”  extra time off —  long weekends such as Memorial Day, Labor Day or even the 4th of July are examples.   Often people expect offices to be closed or  at least not fully staffed so your absence is not questioned.  Plan ahead though as lots of other patients might have the same idea!