How to select a Cosmetic Plastic Surgery surgeon
When choosing a plastic surgeon, you need to consider a number of factors. Medical training and surgical experience are primary indicators of the surgeon’s qualifications. Plastic surgery involves many choices. The first and most important is selecting a surgeon you can trust.
Choosing an ASPS Member Surgeon ensures that you have selected a physician who:
- Has completed at least five years of surgical training with a minimum of two years in plastic surgery.
- Is trained and experienced in all plastic surgery procedures, including breast, body, face and reconstruction.
- Operates only in accredited medical facilities
- Adheres to a strict code of ethics.
- Fulfills continuing medical education requirements, including standards and innovations in patient safety.
- Is board certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or in Canada by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada®.
ASPS Member Surgeons are your partners in cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery.
Look for the ASPS Member Surgeon logo.
To find a plastic surgeon who performs a procedure, visit the online referral service of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). ASPS, founded in 1931, is the largest plastic surgery organization in the world and the foremost authority on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. All ASPS physician members are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
Board certification is another important criterion. No single factor can guarantee you the best doctor for a specific procedure. Ultimately, it is up to you to decide which surgeon is best for your specific goals and expectations.
Board certification can be a very confusing issue. Just open the yellow pages or a view newspaper advertisement and you’ll see plastic surgeons promoting all kinds of society memberships and board certifications. So, how do you make sense of it all?
All certifying boards require different amounts of surgical training and experience, and you should be aware of these different requirements. In other words, all board-certified physicians are not trained equally for certain cosmetic surgery procedures. (An important note is that medical societies do not grant board membership.)
Membership in a society or board-certification doesn’t guarantees a successful outcome. But, some certifying boards do require extensive medical training and experience, such as the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Patients can be confident that physicians certified by these boards do have specific and rigorous surgical education and training.
But in the world of plastic surgery, where many of the procedures are performed in the surgeon’s office, it is relatively easy for a physician to give the impression of a “qualified plastic surgeon.” So it is very important that you learn about the doctor’s education, training, certification, and experience in order to make the best choice.
Be aware of plastic surgery disaster:
Plastic Surgery Disasters / In God We Trust Inc.
