General Information About Choosing Your Cosmetic Surgeon

Despite the fact that cosmetic surgery is more predictable than ever before, it is still a serious undertaking. Be sure that you have all the facts to make an informed choice. No aspect of your decision is more critical than selecting the proper surgeon. Qualified cosmetic surgeons will welcome your questions about their background and be pleased that you are concerned enough to ask.

Guidelines in Your Search

Here are guidelines to assist you in selecting a qualified cosmetic surgeon:
 

• Check into the surgical experience of the surgeon you are considering. Does he or she specialize in the procedure(s) in which you are interested?
• How many procedures of this kind has the doctor done?
• How many is the doctor currently performing per year?
• Before-and-after photographs can give you some indication of a surgeon's ability, although you must realize that they cannot be construed to guarantee the result you will achieve.
• Make sure you are comfortable with the personal support between you and your surgeon. In addition, you should feel at ease with the staff. You should always feel that your concerns are being addressed. Do not be satisfied with an incomplete answer from anyone.

Asking About Credentials

If board certification is to be used as a yardstick in determining a surgeon's qualifications, it is important to ask your doctor about his or her credentials and study them carefully. Initial certification by one of the member boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), such as the American Boards of Dermatology, Otolaryngology, Ophthalmology, General Surgery or Plastic Surgery provide some assurance of formal training in the fundamentals of cosmetic surgery.

Some board-certified physicians will then go on to become-board certified by the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, which has established a strict set of criteria to ensure experience and proficiency in cosmetic surgery. A physician certified by the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery must:
 

1. Be board-certified in an original surgical specialty recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties.
    
2. Have been in the practice of cosmetic surgery for the past five years.
    
3. Have performed no fewer than 1,000 cosmetic surgical procedures.
    
4. Be currently performing a minimum of 200 documented cosmetic procedures per year.
    
5. Pass a stringent two-day oral and written examination.
    
6. Be of good moral character.

(The above information is provided by the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery)