What is a plastic surgeon?
If you go to Wikipedia, plastic surgery is a medical specialty involving “the restoration, reconstruction, or alteration of the human body, divided into two categories: reconstructive and cosmetic.”
The shocking thing is no one regulates who calls themselves a plastic surgeon. In a study published in our journal, only 25% of people calling themselves a plastic surgeon were actually trained and board certified in plastic surgery (!).
You might have heard the terms plastic surgeon and cosmetic surgeon used interchangeably, but they’re not the same. Technically, plastic surgeons are unique from both general surgeons and cosmetic surgeons because of their training. Plastic surgeons are surgical doctors who complete additional specialized training in reconstructive surgery to get extensive experience in improving the function of the face, body, and skin. Our training includes microsurgery, free flaps, and pediatric surgery. It focuses on aesthetics as well as function and reconstruction.
There is no certified board of “cosmetic surgery.” See my blogs here and here. Locally, in the bay area, there are people practicing plastic surgery who are not trained as surgeons, or they only did a one-year surgery internship.
Why should you care? Because training is important. Your health and safety are important. Understanding the nuances of procedures, knowing who is a good candidate and who is not, being able to recognize issues early, doing the right procedure to achieve your goal, and knowing when you can’t fix something—these are critical to having a successful surgery.
Dr. Lauren Greenberg is a plastic surgeon in a boutique solo private practice in Palo Alto and Menlo Park, California. Her office is now in Menlo Park. (For 21 years she was on Welch Road on Stanford’s campus, where she did her Plastic and General Surgery residencies.) The new office offers more space and privacy. In addition to her two surgical residencies at Stanford, she completed additional fellowship training specifically in cosmetic and breast surgery. She is a member of ASPS (American Society of Plastic Surgery), ASAPS (American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery), and Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
