Do you have hospital privileges to perform this procedure?

Ask about privileges before booking

Put this question to your own surgeon, in writing if you can, before you book eyelid surgery. Read up first so you know what to ask.

Where eyelid surgery happens and who steps in

If you are planning surgery around Redmond, you will want to know where it happens and what happens if something goes wrong. Asking about privileges is one way to get at that.

Read the basics before you ask. A plastic surgery society's article on why board certification matters for plastic surgery covers the credential side of choosing a surgeon, and the Washington Medical Commission is the state commission to know about when a surgeon's license is part of your questions. An eye doctors' academy explains upper eyelid blepharoplasty from the eye doctor's side. For a more technical read, a narrative review in PMC covers ophthalmological complications of aesthetic medicine procedures.

What hospital privileges mean and who grants them

Privileges are a hospital's permission for a surgeon to work there, so the hospital grants them, not the surgeon. Ask these, and note the answers:

• Do you hold privileges at a hospital for this procedure? Which one?
• Where will my surgery take place, and who runs that facility?
• Where do I go for urgent care after surgery, and who sees me?
• Can you put the answers in writing?

If the answer is no, ask what the plan is instead. Then decide whether that plan works for you.

Privileges, checked at both ends

Confirm privileges directly with the surgeon and the facility.