Choosing a Plastic Surgeon

  
 
   
 
 

Regarding Plastic Surgery Training And Board Certification

  
 


As you may already know, there are a large number of doctors who advertise and perform “cosmetic” or plastic surgery. Because of the lack of legal regulation of medical specialties, any physician can perform any surgery he or she wants to, regardless of qualification -- many do not even have specialized training for the surgeries they perform. This is particularly true of surgery which is performed in the doctor’s own office.

The uninformed patient could potentially end up having a facelift performed by a dermatologist, or breast implants placed by an ear/nose/throat specialist; In some cases, the doctor may not have any board certification or specific specialty training at all! At the very least, make sure your surgeon is board certified in the appropriate specialty (i.e. Plastic Surgery) before proceeding with a procedure.

Don’t be misled by the phone book listings. At the time of writing this, the Honolulu yellow pages showed about 100 listings under Plastic, Reconstructive and Cosmetic Surgery. However, the roster of American Society of Plastic Surgeons only lists 15 doctors in the area who active members and board-certified in Plastic Surgery. This means that the other 85% of the doctors who are advertising in this section are not board certified ASPS members!

Because of the loose regulation of medical specialties we have already mentioned, this section of the yellow pages is filled with all types of doctors: dermatologists, ophthalmologists, ENT specialists, and many other who are not board certified plastic surgeons. Please choose with care!

  
     
 

How To Choose A Qualified Plastic Surgeon

  
 
The path to becoming a plastic and reconstructive surgeon involves many years of training in a multitude of fields. Using a combination of science, medicine, artistry and craftsmanship of the highest order, the Plastic Surgeon gives the patient a new, more attractive and harmonious appearance, and the raised self-esteem this accompanies it.
If you're considering plastic surgery please consider the following:

No matter what type of plastic surgery you're considering, the most important factor in its success is the surgeon you choose.

How can you find a well-trained, qualified, experienced plastic surgeon? This information can help you make an informed choice. It was prepared by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), a professional society dedicated to quality care for plastic surgery patients through education, research, and the promotion of high professional standards.

  
     
 

Your First Step: Gathering Names

  
 


In choosing a plastic surgeon, your first goal is to develop a list of good candidates. Where do you find them? Some sources are better than others.

Friends
If you know someone who's had a procedure like the one you're considering, talk to him or her about it. But don't decide on a surgeon based only on one friend's experience. Every patient is unique, and so is every surgery; your results might be quite different from your friend's.

Doctors
Your family doctor may be able to recommend a plastic surgeon. Ask your doctor how many patients he or she has referred to this surgeon, and what feedback they offered later. Ask whether the doctor would send a family member to this plastic surgeon.

Nurses
If you know an operating room nurse -- or if you know someone who knows one -- you can probably get a well-informed opinion on surgeons he or she has worked with.

Hospitals
Call a respected hospital in your community and ask for the names of board-certified plastic surgeons on staff. Be sure to ask for the names of doctors who have privileges (official approval) to do the particular procedure you're considering.

ASPS
The Plastic Surgery Information Service of the ASPS is an excellent source of names. Simply call the toll-free number, 1-888-475-2784 and they can give you the names plastic surgeons in your area that perform that procedure. Their membership in the ASPS means they're certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) and members of the largest plastic surgery specialty organization in the U.S. You can show this list to a doctor you trust and ask if he or she has any recommendations. You can also check the list against the one you may have received from the hospital.

Special Directories
You can find the names of board-certified plastic surgeons, listed by state and city, in two reference books available in most public libraries: The Directory of Medical Specialists, published by Marquis Who's Who and The Compendium of Certified Medical Specialists, published by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). A useful and convenient source of information on plastic surgery is the ASPS toll-free number, 1-800-635-0635 for referrals or to verify board certification of a surgeon.

Paid Advertising
You can find plenty of physicians' names in the yellow pages and other advertising sources. But keep in mind that doctors can list themselves under any specialty heading they like, and can advertise any services they want to sell, regardless of their training and credentials. (Exceptions are group listings sponsored by the American Board of Medical Specialties or its member boards.) Similarly, doctors quoted in newspaper and magazine stories may or may not be qualified "experts".

 
     
  Your Next Step: Checking Credentials  
 


Once you've compiled a list of several doctors, you can start checking their credentials. While good credentials can't guarantee you a successful outcome, they can significantly increase the odds. You can obtain the following information from the directories mentioned above, hospitals and professional societies and the surgeons’ office.

Training
More important than where your surgeon went to school is the type of training he or she received. Has the surgeon completed an accredited residency program specifically in plastic surgery? Such a program includes two or three years of intensive training in the full spectrum of reconstructive and cosmetic procedures. While your plastic surgeon may choose to concentrate on a limited number of procedures, this comprehensive background gives a solid foundation to his or her skills.

Board Certification
Everyone has heard the phrase "board-certified". But very few people know what it means, or what to look for. Patients are encouraged to consider a doctor certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS). By choosing a plastic surgeon who is certified by the ABPS, a patient can be assured that the doctor has graduated from an accredited medical school and completed at least five years of additional residency -- usually three years of general surgery (or its equivalent) and two years of plastic surgery. To be certified by the ABPS, a doctor must also practice plastic surgery for two years and pass comprehensive written and oral exams.

Hospital privileges
Even if your surgery will be performed in the doctor's own surgical facility, he or she should have privileges to perform that procedure at an accredited hospital in your community. It means the surgeon is subject to approval by a body of his or her peers. Call the hospital to make sure.

Experience
Although there's no magic number (of years or procedures) that defines "experience", you should feel comfortable that the surgeon you choose is well versed and up-to-date in the procedure you're considering. You can ask the surgeons on your list if they do the procedure frequently or only occasionally, and when they last performed that procedure.

Professional societies
Physicians may belong to a wide array of professional societies, but -- as with board certification -- some are more meaningful than others. If a physician tells you he or she belongs to a particular society, get the exact name and call the society to find out what the requirements for membership are.

Of the societies representing plastic surgeons, one of the most demanding -- and by far the largest -- is the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (ASPS). Its members must be certified by the ABPS and reviewed by their peers. They must also participate in continuing education and adhere to a strict code of ethics.

The consultation/interview
If you've narrowed your list down to two or three surgeons, you might want to visit them all for an initial consultation. That way you can compare their personalities, their opinions on the type of surgery you should have, their fees, and the way they answer your questions and explain the risks involved. Keep in mind, though, that you'll probably have to pay for these consultations, whether or not you choose that surgeon.

Don't be afraid to ask questions, no matter how trivial or how personal you think they'll sound. In fact, it's a good idea to write down your questions before hand, so you won't forget any of them, and to make a note of the surgeon's answers as well

Here are a few general things to look for in the interview:

The surgeon should answer all of your questions thoroughly, in language you can understand.

He/she should ask about your motives and expectations, discuss them with you, and solicit your reaction to his/her recommendations.

He/she should welcome questions about professional qualifications, experience, costs and payment policies.

He/she should make clear, not only the risks of surgery, but the possible variations in outcome. If the surgeon shows you photographs of other patients, or uses computer imaging to show you possible results, it should be clear that there is no guarantee that your results will match these.

He/she should offer alternatives, where appropriate, without pressuring you to consider unnecessary procedures.

He/she should make sure the final decision is yours.

  
     
 

Now It's Time To Make Your Choice

  
 


If you've obtained your surgeon's name from a good source, checked his or her credentials, are satisfied with your initial consultation and have realistic expectations for the surgery, chances are very good that you'll be happy with the outcome of your plastic surgery.

Marco Rizzo, M.D.-Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
Queen's Physicians Office Building II
1329 Lusitana St. #401, Honolulu HI 96813
Tel: 808-533-2900
Fax: 808-531-8991
contact us by e-mail rizzo@lava.net

 
     
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