How to Choose a Plastic Surgeon
Is your surgeon Board certified in plastic surgery?
Make sure your surgeon has completed at least five years of residency training program in surgery and at least 2-3 years in plastic surgery residency. Your surgeon should have passed a board exam in plastic surgery. Choose only a plastic surgeon. Do not settle for any other non surgical specialty. Check for the surgeon’s resume on the web site.
Where will your surgery be performed?
Ensure that your surgery requiring general anesthesia is performed in an accredited hospital or surgery center. Accredited centers are certified so that the surgery is performed in a safe environment. Is the anesthesia provided by a board certified anesthesiologist and not by a unsupervised nurse anesthetist?
Have you checked the before and after pictures?
Always check the quality of outcome following surgery that you wish to have done. Do not feel embarrassed to ask how many of these procedures has your surgeon performed. Find out from your friends if they know about your surgeon’s skills.
Are you comfortable with your surgeon? Are you being promised too much?
You surgeon should be honest and discuss possible complications and give you realistic expectations. Make sure you are certain that your surgeon will be by your side if you have a complication. Make sure that your surgeon answers all your questions and has time to go over the details of the surgery. Ensure that your surgeon is patient with you and shows compassion.
Is your surgeon up to date with his/her skills?
Does your surgeon attend national meetings to learn what is the best and the latest. How often does he/she attend meetings each year? Ask him questions about the latest procedures available regarding your surgery.
How is the office staff functioning?
Ensure that the office staff treats you courteously and the office staff run the office in an organized fashion. Are your phone calls returned in time? Are your concerns forwarded to your surgeon? Finally, how does your surgeon treat the office staff? That certainly tells you lot about your surgeon’s personality.
Please spend more time choosing your surgeon than you would take to choose a pair of shoes or a dress. Above all, be safe. Don’t let low prices drive you to choose a surgeon.