title: Detection and management of the unstable patient.
abstract: The vast majority of doctor-patient interactions in the field of facial plastic surgery are mutually rewarding. Unstable patients will be encountered, however, because of the psychological components of cosmetic surgery. The harm or chaos such patients cause can be minimized by an awareness of unstable patient characteristics, an effort to screen for unstable behavior potential, and development of plans and protocols to manage such patients when they are encountered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, The Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, 43210, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Powell
authors.forename: Todd
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hobgood
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012919:Social Behavior; D013518:Surgery, Plastic; D014754:Violence