Gidsen 

Bring this checklist to the consultation

Separate information you can supply from information the provider needs to show you. Leave with a written summary of what was decided, including anything still unresolved.

Use a simple opening: “Before we start, I want to understand the equipment, check my health information and agree when we would stop.” An unanswered question belongs on the consultation record, rather than being treated as permission to proceed.

Identify the device and every add-on

Ask the provider to write down the manufacturer and model, then identify the applicator intended for your appointment. If you already have a device name or manual from booking, bring it so the provider can confirm the match.

Do not settle for “cavitation,” “40K,” “80K” or a count of handles as the full identity. Ask whether the proposed treatment uses low-frequency nonfocused ultrasound, focused mechanical ultrasound, thermal high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), or another ultrasound system such as a 1 MHz device. Request documentation if the provider is unsure. These descriptions should not be treated as interchangeable evidence for your appointment.

If radiofrequency (RF), vacuum, light or muscle stimulation is included, list it separately. Ask what each function is intended to do and which instructions apply. A consent discussion that describes only ultrasound leaves you without an explanation of the rest of the appointment.

Questions about the instructions

• Does this document match the model and applicator you will use?
• Where does it define intended users, body sites and restrictions?
• What patient information can I take away and read?
• Who obtains clarification if a restriction or instruction is unclear?

Do not use a manual for a similar-looking console to fill a gap. If marketing language or a translated passage conflicts with the equipment label, ask for manufacturer clarification before proceeding. A manual is an operating document, not independent proof of a promised result.

Review health history without changing medicines

The FDA advises disclosure of medicines, supplements, implants, IUDs, mesh, scars and surgery. Also discuss pregnancy or breastfeeding, blood thinners, bleeding disorders, immune suppression, uncontrolled diabetes, skin infection and cancer treatment. These are screening topics, not a universal contraindication list for every modality. [1]

Bring medicine names and doses as recorded on your current list, rather than trying to remember them at the appointment. Describe implant type and location if known; bring available documentation when the provider needs it. Share this information through the provider’s appropriate intake process.

Include existing health conditions even if they are not named above. If a provider asks you to stop or adjust prescribed medicine, take that question to the prescribing clinician. An elective appointment is not a reason to make the change yourself.

Ask which findings prevent treatment, which require medical assessment and which remain unknown for this device. Do not let “your condition was excluded from the study” become “you are safe at a lower setting.” If pregnancy, breastfeeding or recent surgery is relevant, resolve the exact-device restrictions and clinical questions before a session; do not substitute a calendar date.

Clarify the operator’s role and treatment boundaries

Ask who will perform the procedure, what training they have for that equipment and what local qualifications or permissions apply. Request a specific explanation of who handles medical assessment and complications. A course certificate alone does not answer those questions.

You can ask: “Which decisions can you make, and which need a healthcare professional?” Avoid accepting a cosmetic explanation for a new lump, unexplained pain or an undiagnosed bulge. Those questions belong with a qualified healthcare professional before an elective treatment decision.

Define the outcome and the body area

FDA guidance distinguishes local body contouring from weight loss or obesity treatment; results are not assured and can be temporary. [1] State your concern in plain language, then ask what outcome the proposed treatment is actually intended to address.

Ask the provider to identify the planned site and explain how it matches the device documentation. Discuss baseline records and when the result will be reviewed, without accepting a guaranteed change. Ask what would prompt reassessment rather than simply adding more sessions.

FDA also recommends asking how equipment is cleaned between patients and whether disposable components are replaced. [1] Request an explanation of the documented process; do not improvise a cleaning formula from an online guide.

Agree stopping criteria before treatment

Make this a practical agreement, before the applicator touches your skin. Choose a clear phrase such as “Stop the treatment now.” Ask the operator to explain how they will end exposure and check an unexpected reaction.

• During the session: Agree to stop for pain, burning, unusual heat, blistering, new numbness or an unexpected reaction. Do not agree to push through symptoms to complete the appointment. [1]
• A change in hearing: Tell the operator immediately and stop for assessment rather than accepting an unexplained symptom as proof that treatment is working.
• Afterward: Obtain a contact route, written symptom instructions and an explanation of who arranges clinical assessment. Record the device, functions, site, symptom and when it began.

Know when to leave without a session

A consultation can end with a decision to wait. Postpone if device identity is unresolved, the instructions do not match, a relevant medical question has no assessment route, or nobody can explain how a reaction will be handled.

Common mistakes are copying another clinic’s protocol, leaving an add-on out of the consent conversation, omitting a medicine because it seems unrelated, and signing before reading the risks. A consultation is your opportunity to resolve those gaps before exposure.

Ask for the unresolved questions in writing and take time to consider the answers. A signature documents a decision; it does not resolve missing information.

Leave with a decision you understand

Before agreeing to treatment, you should be able to explain what will be used, what information has been reviewed, who handles unresolved questions and what happens if you stop. If you cannot, the next step is clarification or appropriate assessment.