Plastic Surgery Articles

Choosing a qualified plastic surgeon to evaluate and treat you, is a very important decision. There is a lot of hype in the cosmetic surgery field. The topic is everywhere-on TV shows, in magazines, in the newspaper, and on the Internet. There’s a lot of information out there for a person to absorb. Some of this information is truthful and informative, but there are also many misconceptions. When something goes wrong with the celebrities’ cosmetic surgery, it grabs more publicity than a procedure that went without a hitch. It’s not easy for someone to make the right choice about who to see and what to have done. 
Plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery are commonly used interchangeably, although there are distinctions.  The word plastic is from the Greek word Plastikos which means to reshape.  There is no “plastic” in plastic surgery.  Plastic surgery can either be for cosmetic reasons, such as facelifts, breast augmentations, and liposuction, or for reconstructive reasons such as breast cancer reconstruction, burn reconstruction, hand surgery, and congenital anomalies .Cosmetic surgical procedures are safe and effective when done properly. Of course, there are risks involved with any procedure and being treated by a qualified physician doesn’t guarantee that everything will turn out as planned. The problem is that there are many people performing cosmetic procedures who are not qualified.

Caveat Emptor-Let the Buyer Beware
In this day and age, there are many people advertising on the Internet, in magazines, and on television about the cosmetic procedures they offer and what results they will give you.  Physicians advertise that they are “board-certified” to qualify them as experts.  But what does “board certified” mean.  There are 24 medical specialties recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties, one of which is plastic surgery.  In order to be a member of one of these specialty boards, the physician has to have been board-certified in this specialty.  This means the physician completed a residency in that specialty and passed written and oral exams given by the respective board. 

Physicians who call themselves “cosmetic surgeons” are often not plastic surgeons.  They are not board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.  Many are “board-certified” by organizations that promote themselves as cosmetic surgeons, but have little training.  They may take a weekend course such as one I saw advertised recently.  It was a course offered by the International Society of Cosmetogynecology on Cosmetic Breast Surgery.  I would be skeptical of having a breast augmentation done by someone who took a weekend course on the procedure, yet legally there is no restriction on them performing this procedure.  Many practitioners operate out of their office suite because they don’t have hospital privileges.  They may not even carry malpractice insurance.

When making an educated decision as to who to choose, ask which board certified them, where they operate, if they have hospital privileges, and if you can see before and after pictures of their results.  Ask your own physician if they know about the doctor you are planning to see.  You can also research through your state medical board to see if there is any disciplinary action against the practitioner.

Cosmetic surgery can help you feel better about yourself, renew your confidence, and improve your life.  Make the right choice when you choose your plastic surgeon.

Written by: Joseph Perlman M.D.