Handling the dissatisfied or difficult patient

A cosmetic surgeon’s familiarity with the difficult and dissatisfied patient is a popular topic of discussion both professionally and medically/legally. Long problem lists, unrealistic expectations, and incessant dissatisfaction despite satisfactory results persevere as the common thread among this population that is, at the least, demanding of special treatment. As much as these individuals serve as a source of simple frustration among professionals they can also provide significant anxiety in regard to medical/legal and ethical issues pertaining to the proper treatment of patients. In order to maintain a healthy doctor–patient relationship and avoid unnecessary stress it is important to recognize the “red flags” of the difficult patient and to practice problem-avoiding techniques in order to minimize the sometimes stressful kinetics between patient and doctor.