5 KEYS TO FIND A GOOD COSMETIC SURGEON

The most recent statistics show that well over 3 million Americans undergo plastic surgery each year. Most of the people who have such surgery—to improve their appearances or correct damage caused by accidents or disease— report that they experience no serious side effects and are completely satisfied with the results.

Even so, experts are recommending that anyone who is considering cosmetic surgery should take some common sense precautions in finding a qualified and skilled practitioner. Since this is an almost $4-billion-a-year industry, some unethical and unqualified people have “taken up practice”. The result has been tragic for the thousands of people who have been mutilated and swindled out of millions of dollars.

There are only about 4000 physicians who are properly board-certified in plastic surgery, and finding one of those can be quite time-consuming. How can you be sure of getting one of these properly certified, skilled doctors to perform your cosmetic surgery? Here are several expert suggestions to help you make the right choice:

1) Inspect the doctor’s credentials. You can find out if the doctor has been certified by calling the American Board of Medical Specialties at 800-776-2378 or the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons at 800-635- 0635. If the doctor objects to such a background check, mark him or her off your list and find someone else.

You can also find out whether or not the doctor is a member of the staff of a major hospital— practically all hospitals require that their doctors carry malpractice insurance. If the doctor is on the staff of a hospital, you can ask if he or she has the hospital privileges to perform the procedure you want, even if the surgery is to be done in the doctor’s office. If the doctor has no such privileges, find another doctor.

2) Ask the doctor to give you “references”. Request the names of people upon whom the doctor has performed the same procedure that you are considering. Talk with these former patients and find out whether or not they are satisfied with the doctor and their surgery.

3) Be suspicious of any doctor who talks exclusively of miraculous results, and a safe, quick surgery, never mentioning any possible risks and complications.

4) Make sure there will be adequate emergency equipment and an experienced anesthetist on hand if the surgery is to be performed at a doctor’s office or at a surgical center.

5) The doctor should take your complete medical history and give you a thorough physical examination. It may also be prudent to bring along to the consultation an objective friend or family member to provide another perspective.

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