If you're thinking about having plastic surgery, you have probably already devoted a lot of time and effort to learning everything possible about your options, including the surgical procedures and risk factors. But before you find a surgeon here are a few basic tips that will make the task easier.
The most important thing you need to establish is whether or not your surgeon is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Unfortunately, many patients are so eager to look better they research everything except their doctor and assume any doctor that advertises themselves as a plastic surgeon is skilled to do the job. The unfortunate results can include irreversible nerve damage and the life long pain of living with a botched surgical job.
It is also a sad fact that some doctors will falsely claim to be board certified that are not or will claim certification with a board that does not guarantee the same quality of training and skills. The board requires three to four minimal years of training in plastics and three to five years of training in surgical procedures. Check the website of the American Board of Plastic Surgery to ensure the doctor you are considering is certified.
Once you verify the doctor is board certified, you should also go to your states medical board web site and make sure there are no malpractice suites on the doctor's record. These are red flags that you shouldn't ignore.
During your initial consultation with your doctor, you should have a list of questions to ask, including how much experience they have with the type of procedure you are considering. How often do they do this type of procedure every week? Plastic surgeons are not all equal. A surgeon may be highly skilled in breast augmentation and rarely do liposuctions. This is great if you are getting your breast done but not so great if you want liposuction.
You should also be prepared to ask your doctor about hospital privileges. Do they have hospital privileges even if they operate out of their own clinic? Hospitals do background checks, just as you will be doing to check for malpractice suits and proper board certification and if a doctor does not have hospital privileges it is another red flag that you should not gloss over.
And finally, be wary of a doctor who wants to bundle up your surgeries into one procedure. The more surgical procedures you undertake at once, the more risk you are also undergoing. If you are having a breast lift, you may want to have the augmentation at the same time but you don't need a breast lift and tummy tuck done at the same time because the post op pain and recovery time will also increase.
Question, verify and be picky about your doctor. Your surgery results depend on a wide variety of factors including the doctor you choose so choose wisely.
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