Newport Beach Plastic Surgery and Orange County Guidelines

Our patients’ efforts to adapt these past few years, along with their willingness to support each other, has filled us with gratitude. We thank you all! And we encourage you to continue to extend those efforts to our local Newport Beach and Orange County businesses who are now working toward safely resuming their normal operations.

While we look forward to this coming season, it is important to note that within the healthcare setting much remains the same. We remain focused on patient safety and optimal surgical outcomes. We move forward with a continued standard of care emphasizing universal safety protocols. The California Department of Public Health continues to require masks to be worn within the healthcare setting. And we continue on with a modified schedule, providing service to patients by appointment only.

Why have a modified schedule?

Healthcare providers have been instructed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to continue to follow all current infection prevention and control recommendations. Our modified schedule was implemented in support of the safety and health of our patients, staff, and Orange County community. We continue to encourage everyone to stay well-informed, practice social/personal distancing during their visits, and to be kind to each other.

Is the office open for follow-up appointments?

In-office follow-up appointments are currently reserved for those patients who have had surgery within the past three months, or who are in need of clinical assistance (e.g. high-definition ultrasound screening). All immediate post-operative surgical patients continue to be seen in-office for wound care, and continue to be monitored throughout their recovery process. All patients seen in-office, will be seen by a member of our surgical team.

Photo of model sitting at computer. Patients who are over six months post-op may automatically be scheduled for virtual follow-up visits via an encrypted HIPAA-compliant online platform. For the past several years, we have been conducting virtual follow-ups as a service for our out-of-town patients. We are happy to be able to provide this safe and convenient service to all patients during these interesting times. Virtual follow-ups simply require a computer, tablet, or smartphone, and a Google Meet code (which will be provided to you prior to your appointment).

I am a recent surgical patient and I have a question. What do I do?

Our goals are patient safety and successful surgical outcomes. With this in mind, patients should always feel free to call the office with any questions to be addressed by a member of our surgical team. If you do not receive a return call within 45 minutes, please call back. For all non-urgent conditions, please remember to speak slowly, leave a contact telephone number, and follow the voicemail prompts to dispatch the message urgently.

For unexpected conditions such as acute chest pain, neurological deficits, difficulty breathing, or any other life threatening emergency, please call 911.

Is it faster to send an email?

We ask recent surgical patients with immediate needs or questions to please call the office, and be sure to follow the prompts. During this time of minimal staffing, we will be making every effort to reply to emails in a timely manner, and by the end of the week.

Can I text the office?

Absolutely! You may text the office phone number, or simply click on the chat icon on the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. Please be aware, we are unable to guarantee encryption of your device and security standards of your service provider/device. Our system is fully encrypted, but we ask that you text “CONSENT” in acknowledgment of this HIPAA disclosure prior to texting any photos or protected health information (PHI). Please remember, if you are a recent surgical patient with immediate surgical needs, please call the office.

I am in need of scheduling an appointment, when can I be seen?

Our scheduling process is continually evolving and remains adaptive. We are currently scheduling wound care appointments with a member of your surgical team as any need may arise. Non-emergent follow-up appointments and consultations may be scheduled as virtual appointments. High-Definition Ultrasounds for Breast Implant Surveillance or Cutera Secret RF Microneedling are scheduled with the nurse on a first-available basis. We are currently scheduling the end of Summer and early Fall for non-surgical appointments with Dr. Lavinia K. Chong.

If you are a breast implant patient due for an annual follow-up (this includes breast augmentation and revisional breast implant exchange), or a tummy tuck patient looking to track your annual progress following your abdominoplasty surgery, please reach out to the office for assistance. We will arrange for a member of our team to be available at your convenience for follow-up photos. At your request, a member of our team may also be made available to assist you with tracking your current body composition.

If you have any questions regarding your upcoming appointment, or your scheduling request, please feel free to reach out to us via phone/text, website messaging, or email. We thank you all for your continued patience.

I made great time with traffic and arrived for my appointment early. Can I come straight up to the office?

If you arrive more than ten minutes prior to your appointment, we ask that you please text/call and speak to a staff member before coming up to the office (so that we may be sure to safely accommodate you).

Can I bring a friend or family member to the appointment with me?

Two people holding hands.

As we aim to reduce traffic in the office, guests will be permitted as needed to assist with a recent surgical patient’s continuity of care. If you are a recent surgical patient, you may be accompanied by one adult who has been designated as your care provider. We ask your guest to please conform to our current COVID-19 screening protocols (may include temperature check, travel screening, health screening).

Has Dr. Chong been performing surgery or any other procedures?

March of 2020 saw a closure of our surgery center and treatment rooms in support of The State of California and the American Society of Plastic Surgery. At that time, plastic surgery centers and medical spas were directed to suspend all elective medical procedures. This directive was established to achieve a variety of goals: limit opportunities for transmission (while we were learning more about transmission), and reserve the needed supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) required to provide staff safety during treatments and procedures.

We supported this directive in the interest of maintaining the safety and health of our patients, staff, and our Orange County community. As reserves of PPE have been replenished, the directives have since been lifted. May of 2020 we were cleared to resume all cosmetic and plastic surgery procedures in our private, AAAASF accredited Newport Beach Ambulatory Surgical Center.

How do I schedule a virtual consultation or follow-up?

Requesting a virtual consultation or follow-up appointment is simple! Click the link below to submit your request. Please feel free to send a current set of photos (facing front, side, and oblique) along with your request of the areas you would like to discuss at the time of your appointment.

Please click here to access our secure Virtual Consultation form

If this is your first time meeting Dr. Lavinia Chong for a consult on face, body, or breast surgery (or if it has been more than three years since your last appointment), please complete your updated patient packet to expedite the scheduling process. To complete your forms electronically, you may download Adobe Fill & Sign or DocuSign. Or you may download your forms, fill-in, and save then simply send back to us via email. If you encounter any problems, please feel free to email our patient concierge, or call the office at (949) 644-1400.

Additional resources:

CDC: COVID-19 FAQ

CDC: Hand-washing

CDPH: Masking Requirements