Plastic Surgery Articles

In my practice I am often asked, “Is it possible to have more than one surgery at the same time?” Over the last several years more and more patients come to the office with more than one concern that they would like to address at the same time. For many years, plastic surgeons have been combining facial rejuvenation surgical procedures because as we all know, humans don’t age 1 facial part at a time. Read more

James H. Carraway, M.D., FACS
Eastern Virginia Medical School

Board certification has been an important issue in the specialty of plastic surgery as well as other specialties for a long time. It became important about 50 years ago when organized medicine in general was attempting to improve medical care across the board in this country. As a young plastic surgeon in training, I knew that my endpoint in terms of making official all of my training was board certification. Read more

It is truly an honor and a privilege to be a plastic surgeon. Our patients trust us to make the best decision for their medical and surgical plan and then carry out those procedures with technical expertise while also caring for the whole patient throughout the healing process. The art and science of medicine goes well beyond deciding which filler to inject or how much fat to remove; Read more

Respect

Respect is what Board-Certification means to me.

It means respect FOR my patients, not FROM my patients.

To me as doctor, Board certification in plastic surgery means that I care and respect my patients enough to seek out the highest levels of education and credentialing to deliver the best care for my patients.

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One of the potentially most confusing things for the patient considering plastic surgery, particularly for elective cosmetic surgery, is “How Do I Know that My Surgeon is Qualified?” There are many different means of answering that question but the FIRST place to start is looking for Board Certification. Unfortunately, even this can be confusing to the patient so let me list a few salient points for the potential patient to consider. Read more

Frequently my day will start making rounds on my patients in the hospital. My patient population encompasses most of what a board certified plastic surgeon is trained to treat. So, in any given week I may have patients with pressure sores that I have repaired, patients with traumatic injuries and breast cancer patients after reconstruction. Patients with pressure sores present a very unique set of challenges- Read more

How many times do we see advertising for affordable cosmetic surgery in print, radio, or TV? You know the ads that promise terrific results via a short procedure, done often under local anesthesia that allows the patient to return to work the next day? The ads that show incredibly young, beautiful models in bathing suits lounging at a pool, supposedly having undergone “liposculpture” or “liposuction with laser”. Read more

Information on aesthetic (cosmetic) plastic surgery is readily available from many sources - but not all of these sources are credible, nor is all the available information accurate. Likewise, prospective cosmetic surgery patients have many choices when it comes to selecting a surgeon. Not all physicians who perform cosmetic surgery today have equivalent training and certification. Read more

When seeking to have plastic surgery of any kind, it is of the utmost importance that you make sure that your surgeon is board-certified by the American board of plastic surgery. The American board of plastic surgery is the only board recognized by the American board of medical specialties, where all legitimate board certificates are identified and the criteria are maintained. Read more

The overall popularity for plastic surgery procedures is continually growing, so it is never a surprise that more and more doctors are trying to enter into our field. Although any type of doctor can legally perform cosmetic surgery, only a doctor who has completed an accredited residency program in plastic surgery can call himself a “plastic surgeon.” Therefore the importance of finding a properly trained and certified provider is essential.

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