Picking a plastic surgeon is tough, as I have said many times in blogs.
I received a “guide to plastic surgery” which I thought made good points. So I will reiterate their page on choosing a surgeon you can trust.
“Anyone with a medical degree can claim to be qualified to perform cosmetic procedures.”
I find this so difficult to grasp. What this means is there is nothing which keeps a doctor from practicing out of their specialty. It would be like me calling myself a pediatrician, hanging my shingle, and telling people “I’m board certified “(in plastic surgery not pediatrics, but will a patient be savvy enough to ask me by what board I am certified?). These non plastic surgeon doctors will almost always operate out of office based centers, as one of the only blockades to these non-plastic surgeons is major hospitals will not give them privileges to do procedures out of their specialty. So I cannot do heart surgery–though I am a surgeon, I did not do a fellowship in cardiac surgery–and heart surgeons cannot do breast reductions, as they did not do a fellowship in plastic surgery.
The first and most important step before you undertake any procedure is selecting a qualified plastic surgeon you can trust Choose a member of ASAPS (the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery) or an ASPS (American Society of Plastic Surgery) Member Surgeon.
When you pick a member of these organizations, you know:
- They are board certified by the American Board of PLASTIC SURGERY
- Completed at least five years of SURGICAL training following medical school, with a minimum of two years of plastic surgery residency training.
- Successfully passed a rigorous written and oral examination administered by the American Board of Plastic Surgery
- Complete continuing medical education, including patient safety training each year
- Perform surgery in accredited, state licensed, or Medicare certified surgery facilities
- Adhere to a strict code of ethics.
You can look for the logos. As cute and seemingly insignificant as these look, they both symbolize over a decade of study and work: medical school, general surgery residency, plastic surgery residency, written exam, oral exam, continuing medical education, and recertification required with new exams and certification every 10 years.
Here in the Bay Area you research everything: what food you eat, how to exercise, how to be healthier, what car to buy, which carseat has the best rating for your child. Don’t be fooled by flashy offices and misleading advertisements.