Information for Out of Town Patients

As a leading plastic surgeon in Chicago and Northwest, Indiana, Dr. Platis frequently has patients travel great distances to have their procedure performed by him. We also have many patients who come from Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, etc and although they are not coming from as far as many of our patients it is still inconvenient for them to visit our office preoperatively as well as postoperatively. So for patients who are traveling from out of town to see Dr. Platis we will make every effort to accommodate you and assist you in your travel needs.

Our Chicago plastic surgery office is conveniently located in the gold coast area and is just 25 minutes from O'Hare International Airport and 30 minutes from Midway Airport. Dr. Platis' Merrillville, Indiana plastic surgery office is just 45 minutes east of our Chicago office and may be a more convenient location for some of our out of town patients. His surgical facilities are located very close to both his offices.

Out of town consultations generally take place through email as well as telephone. It is best to email your concerns and what changes you are seeking to info@cosmedicclinic.com (your email will be received directly by Kate, Dr. Platis' patient care coordinator) and please include photographs of the areas of concern. Dr. Platis generally needs front and side views to assist him in your phone consultation. You may also mail this information to us at 58 East Walton, Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60611. Please also let us know if you have any medical issues that the doctor should be aware of as well as any medicine you are currently taking or have taken in the recent past.

Initial consultation and scheduling your procedure and stay in Chicago

• Once we have received your information Kate will contact you to set up a time to speak with Dr. Platis. If you can come in for a face to face visit before your procedure that is great but we have been very efficient and successful with many phone consultations so we will work with you and whatever your schedule will allow.
• After you speak with Dr. Platis about your procedure(s) Kate will write out an exact cost for you and mail or email it to you so you can discuss the costs and payment options with her. She will answer any scheduling questions you may have and go over preoperative and postoperative information.
• Once you have gone over the costs and procedure information the next step is to pick a surgery date. To secure a date for surgery we do require a deposit (which is generally 20% of the surgical fee). You may mail a check or use a credit card/financing.
• If any preoperative blood work or tests are necessary prior to your procedure we prefer to have those results at least 2 weeks prior to your procedure. We will assist you in getting these tests (if necessary) set up with a clinic near you.
• If possible, Dr. Platis prefers for you to arrive the afternoon before your procedure so he can see you in the office for your official preoperative photographs and to have a chance to meet before the day of your procedure.
• It is generally best if you can stay at a hotel near our office and surgical facility. We have several hotels that we recommend and we will talk to you about your preferences and then give you our recommendation. Dr. Platis requires that all his patients are accompanied by someone when they leave the surgical center and for the first night. If you are traveling alone we can assist you with a recovery care agency that has excellent staff to take you to your hotel and stay the night with you to address any immediate needs you may have. Dr. Platis is of course available to you as well for any questions 24 hours a day. If your drive home is 2 hours or less it is often times possible for you to go home and then drive back the following week for your follow up. Much over 2 hours we prefer you stay at least the first night after your procedure.
  
  The Westin Michigan Ave
  www.starwoodhotels.com
  312-943-7200
  
  Sofitel Chicago Water Tower
  www.sofitel.com
  312-324-4000
  
  Holiday Inn Express Hotel Merrillville
  www.hiexpress.com
  219-795-9500
  
  Radisson Hotel Merrillville
  www.radisson.com
  219-769-6311
  
  
• Many procedures only require a weekend stay (surgery Friday, follow up Monday, travel home Monday evening) but some procedures such as facelift or tummy tuck require a bit more time before traveling (possibly 7-10 days). Dr. Platis will be able to give you an accurate time to allow before traveling.
• Dr. Platis will follow up with you by phone and may request an emailed photo so we can see how you are progressing. We ask that you let us know if and when you may be in town so we can see you in person.

Having your procedure out of town can be an exciting as well as peaceful experience. Many of our out of town patients really enjoy the opportunity to have some time to themselves and a chance to recover away from the distractions at home. Please let us know how we can help you with any of your arrangements.