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Choosing Your Plastic Surgeon
I was stunned when I found out my ‘cosmetic surgeon’ wasn't trained and certified in plastic surgery.
By Barbara Wells
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From Botox injections and chemical peels to liposuction and tummy tucks, the wide array of popular cosmetic procedures have lured many medical practitioners into the field of plastic surgery. Some doctors—and non-physicians too—add cosmetic procedures to their services after just days of training. How will you know if your doctor is qualified to perform the procedures you want?
There’s a shortcut for making sure a plastic surgeon meets the highest standards: just look for membership in the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) or the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS). These plastic surgeons rely on their in-depth medical knowledge of the entire human body—its changes over time and its response to our environment and lifestyle—to help you define your beauty goals and the best way to achieve them.
Most physicians are board-certified in something, but that doesn’t mean they’re qualified to perform plastic surgery. Members of ASPS and ASAPS are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada—the gold standard for plastic surgery certification—after passing rigorous exams. They also meet these qualifications:
- Have at least six years of training and experience in surgery, with three years specifically in plastic surgery
- Annually complete continuing medical education, including patient safety training
- Perform surgery only in accredited, state-licensed, or Medicare-certified surgical facilities
- Adhere to a strict code of ethics
Members of ASAPS and ASPS are experts in the full range of cosmetic procedures, from noninvasive skin treatments to reconstructive surgery. They have the education and training to help patients explore all of their options—not just the select few that other practitioners are able to perform. Your plastic surgeon will help you choose the right procedures for your unique needs, take every medical precaution to protect your health, make sure you have realistic expectations, and achieve the best possible results.
So choose a board-certified plastic surgeon you can trust. Any doctor can claim to be a cosmetic surgeon, but members of ASAPS and ASPS meet the highest standards of experience, education, and ethics.
Questions for your cosmetic surgeon:
- Are you an ASPS Member Surgeon or member of ASAPS? (If the answer is “yes,” rest assured that your surgeon is board-certified in plastic surgery and performs surgery only in accredited facilities.)
- Are you board-certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada?
- Do you have hospital privileges to perform this procedure? If so, at which hospitals?
- Is the surgical facility accredited by a nationally or state-recognized accrediting agency, or is it state-licensed or Medicare-certified?
- How many procedures of this type have you performed?
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