What you should know before choosing a plastic surgeon

Deciding to plastic surgery can be a difficult decision. Many people who have cosmetic surgery have excellent plastic surgeon Honolulu results and we are delighted with the results. They benefit from improved self-esteem and confidence. Their renewed confidence can lead to an improved outlook at work or perhaps a new relationship. Others may think that the result was less than expected. Often the difference between these two scenarios is to choose the right plastic surgeon. The popularity of plastic surgery has increased dramatically in recent years and many doctors have entered the field to try to meet demand. Any licensed physician can call him or herself a plastic surgeon or cosmetic and, therefore, it is essential that you know what are the qualifications to look for.

A good place to start your search for a plastic surgeon is your referral family doctor or from friends, colleagues or parents who were happy with the results of their surgery. The hospital staff such as nurses, surgeons and specialists in anesthesia are also excellent sources of references. You can also do some research on the Internet or the Yellow Pages. Once you have in mind some likely candidates, there are some additional steps you must take. You want the surgeon who performs your procedure to be not only an expert but a super specialist. Plus a surgeon performs surgery special skills are more refined. You want a surgeon who has been with your procedure on a weekly basis or more for a period of years. Such a surgeon may have formed a team that is extremely well practiced in their specific skills.

The next step is to call the office of each of your candidates surgeon and ask what is the top 5 procedures performed by a surgeon. If your procedure is not among the top 5, go through the doctor of your next step is to list.

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Check with your state medical board is a place where critical information about your prospective surgeon can be found. For example, the Medical Board of California, www.medbd.ca.gov, provides extensive information such as:

If a doctor has been disciplined or formally accused of wrongdoing by the Council or whether the practice of a physician was temporarily restricted or suspended under a Court following order.

The step is to check the qualifications of your surgeon. One of the most common phrases you will see in plastic surgery is "board certified". This statement alone means very little. There are plenty of medical advice in a wide variety of specialties. Some of these tips have been trained by doctors just so they can say they are "board certified" without having to qualify by the most established and reputable advice. You need to know precisely what the Board has certified your plastic surgeon.

One of the most important qualities you should look for a plastic surgeon is that they are board certified with the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS). ABPS certification ensures that the surgeon has graduated from an accredited medical school and underwent an extremely rigorous training program. Other major associations to seek plastic surgery are:

Fellowship in the American College of Surgeons (FACS)
American Society of Plastic Surgeons
The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Membership in any of these organizations ensures that you spent a good surgeon processes rigorous certification and education has been very broad and training.

This article has provided only a brief discussion of how to choose a plastic surgeon. If you have plastic surgery, you should look this matter further.