How to choose a good plastic surgeon

In the United States physicians are licensed to practice medicine by state licensing boards. Once licensed, there are no federal laws that expressly define what procedures a physician can and cannot perform. In other words, a physician not trained to perform plastic surgery could claim to be a specialist in cosmetic plastic surgery and perform procedures such as liposuction, breast augmentation and tummy tuck, which they are not qualified.  Hard to believe but unfortunately this does happen more and more frequently.  This is particularly common in medical spas where often the business of making money is put well before safety.  There have been encouraging steps recently with unqualified doctors having their licenses revoked or even serving jail time.  Salt Lake City and Utah are still a little behind the curve with this.

Make sure your surgeon is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery .  To become board certified by this board a plastic surgeon must first complete intensive training in an accredited plastic surgery training program. Thereafter the surgeon must pass rigorous written and oral examinations given by the board. The American Board of Plastic Surgery is one of only 24 accredited specialty boards recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) and is the only board recognized by the ABMS to certify a surgeon in plastic surgery of the face and body.

There are a number of other boarding organizations that include “facial” “aesthetic” or “cosmetic” in the title.  A particularly notable offender is the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery.  These “boards” are not recognized by the ABMS and do not have the same training requirements.  On their websites some of these boards state that they are in some way a sub-specialty board for plastic surgeons who specialize in cosmetic surgery.  Do not be fooled.  The training and requirements of these boards ins in no way comparable to that of a plastic surgeon.  The requirements are nearly as simple as filling out an application and paying your application fee.  There is only ONE board for plastic surgeons, the American Board of Plastic Surgery.  To verify a physicians board status contact the American Board of Plastic Surgery at (215) 587-9322 or www.abplsurg.org. You may also contact the American Board of Medical Specialties at 1 (800) 776-2378 or www.abms.org.

Operating Facility Safety Standards

Many cosmetic procedures are performed in clinic operating rooms as this offers the patient a significant reduction in cost. This is a safe and effective practice so long as the safety of the patient is not compromised in the process. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery require that all plastic surgery performed under anesthesia other than minor local anesthesia meet specific criteria. The rate of serious complications in accredited facilities is extremely low and is comparable to the risk in a freestanding surgical center or hospital outpatient facility.  Dr. Yates has an in office operating suite that is accredited by the AAAASF, the gold standard for plastic surgery operating facilities.

Experience

Choose a surgeon who has vast experience in plastic surgery procedures.   More importantly, choose a surgeon with particular experience in the procedure that you are interested in.  If you are interested in breast augmentation, ask your surgeon what percentage of his/her practice is breast augmentation and how many he/she has done.

Choose the right personality for you

Choose a surgeon whom is confident, likable and ethical.  The relationship between you and your plastic surgeon will be a long lasting one.  The process is much more enjoyable if you enjoy the surgeon and his or her staff.  You should never leave a consultation feeling pressured or that you are being talked into a procedure you are not interested in.  Additionally, ask your surgeon beforehand if there are any charges for revisions or treatment of complications.   Dr. Yates serves the Salt Lake City Utah metro area and would love to have the opportunity to meet, and hopefully impress you enough to choose him to be your plastic surgeon.

Click, for a list of questions to bring to your consultation.