Medical photography: why it is so important to photograph patients

Medical photography refers to images of patients taken before, after and even during any operations and medical diagnostic manipulations.  Nowadays, with the advent of smartphones and other gadgets, almost everyone has the opportunity to take a photo at any time, and Dr. – not an exception. Medical photography – this is not a picture, for example, of a manicure that a girl leaves in her photo gallery to share with her friends. Such photographs have a certain weight, and it will not be possible to take them without the permission of the patient. It is especially important to take medical photographs of patients undergoing plastic surgery.

Medical photography – important document in plastic surgery

In aesthetic, plastic and reconstructive surgery, a medical photograph is not just a snapshot for the doctor's personal archive, but an important and necessary medical document.

The doctor will be able to use medical photographs in the future both for a visual demonstration of his own work to other potential patients, and for some other important purposes.

Why do you need to take medical photographs – knows estet-portal.com:

1. The doctor gets the opportunity to capture the initial situation of the patient.

During and prior to plastic surgery, the operated area may look slightly different. It is much easier to perform the operation, having an image of the initial situation in front of your eyes. Thus, the doctor will not miss important details and will always be able to look at what was BEFORE. In the patient himself, the picture of the initial state of the operated area is also erased after the intervention, so the medical photo – this is a good way to document the patient's appearance.

2. Opportunity to conduct a comparative assessment of the results of the operation

With the help of medical photographs, both the doctor and the patient themselves can conduct a comparative assessment and determine whether the surgical intervention was performed to the required extent, whether the desired result was achieved, and whether it matches the patient's ideas.

3. Medical photographs – protection of a doctor in conflict situations

It is often difficult for patients to adapt and get used to changes in their appearance. Against this background, as well as several distorted ideas about the results of the operation, the patient may remain dissatisfied with them and conflict with the doctor about this. Thanks to medical photographs, the doctor is able to protect himself.

4. Ability to view the dynamics of the formation of the result

Often, it is possible to evaluate the final result of plastic surgery only after many months. By taking medical photographs during each patient visit, the doctor can track the dynamics of the entire healing period and the formation of the results of the operation, and also demonstrate this to the patient for comparison.

How to take medical photographs before surgery

Medical photographs should be treated with the same care by a doctor as any other medical record. There are some rules for taking such snapshots:

• Medical photographs can only be taken when the doctor has obtained the consent of the patient;
• photographs must be taken before the plastic surgery;
• Medical photographs must not be taken while lying down;
• it is important to consider the rules for determining anatomical zones for medical photography.

Performing medical photographs – it is a fairly simple and fast process, which has many advantages for both the doctor and the patient.

The ability to evaluate the results of the operation, conduct a comparative assessment, as well as an important document for resolving conflict situations – this is the value of a seemingly simple medical photograph.