RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: A successful outcome of elective aesthetic surgery should be preceded by clear criteria for patient selection. A solid patient-doctor bond and, ideally, a relationship where "empathy" is the key should be the goal before proceeding. We describe the usefulness of a new practical psychological triage system: the 5 Preoperative Key Points. METHODS: Six hundred fifty-five consultations for primary breast enlargement performed by the same doctor that culminated in surgical procedures were included. A graphic was used to classify patients, taking personal adaptation into consideration. RESULTS: The system's scores were organized into three groups: group A (32 %, n = 210), B (55 %, n = 360), and C (13 %, n = 85). Of a total of 655 nonconsecutive consultations, 646 (98.6 %) proceeded to the second consultation and its respective procedure. Only nine group C cases (1.3 % of total consultations and 10.5 % C group patients) were discouraged from undergoing the procedure. CONCLUSION: These 5 Preoperative Key Points proved to be simple, practical, and applicable to our daily practice. Applying a simple and practical psychological triage system shall prove beneficial not only for surgeons but for patients as well. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE V: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .