Thinking About Plastic Surgery? Do Your Homework!

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Referrals from patients' friends and family are how a large number of plastic surgeons stay busy. If a person sees a good plastic surgery result on someone she or he knows, that person is more likely to go the same surgeon, rather than some random plastic surgeon. More often than not, a referral from a friend leads to a happy ending.

Unfortunately for Dinora Rodriguez, this was not the case. Dinora states, "I had this friend who recommended this doctor to me." The friend told her that she and both of her daughters had liposuction performed by the doctor. Dinora herself never checked on the doctor's background. Dinora ended up with severe facial and breast deformities from a doctor who acted as a plastic surgeon. Holding a medical license and having a shingle that says "plastic surgeon" does not mean that a person has been trained in the field of plastic surgery. So how do you safeguard yourself?

When you meet your surgeon, the surgeon should easily be able to tell you her or his educational background if asked. Most surgeons will have a biography on their website. You can do your own fact checking. The internet makes it easy to look up or "Google" a plastic surgeon. Did she or he really do a residency or fellowship in plastic surgery and not just take some courses in "cosmetic" surgery? Ask your surgeon!! There's a huge difference in experience between a plastic surgeon who did 6-7 years of training in a plastic surgery residency or three years of training in a plastic surgery fellowship and a cosmetic surgeon who performes aesthetic procedures but learned them from courses or by just watching another surgeon do it a few times. Did your surgeon really go to Harvard, Duke, Northwestern, etc.? Look it up! The internet should have multiple entries that confirm the facts.

Now what about this "board certification" business? Board certification is a good thing! However, remember that there are many excellent young plastic surgeons who are in the process of becoming board certified. It takes a minimum of two years after plastic surgery training to become board certified. So don't write off those younger surgeons! There is a minimum number of cases a surgeon needs to perform in order to become board certified. If they don't get enough cases because they are not "board certified," then they can't become board certified! If your surgeon has completed "a minimum of six years of surgical training in plastic surgery" as is required by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) to become a member and you have seen a sample of her or his workmanship and find it acceptable, you need not be so wary. Even a board certified surgeon may not do good work.

Oh, one more thing. Remember to ask in which field is the surgeon board certified. There are plenty of "board certified" gynecologists, family doctors, and dermatologists doing "plastic surgery."

In summary, do your homework! It's your body and your life. You only get one.