How to Choose A Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

Plastic surgery is never a simple procedure and therefore thorough research is required.

But before you start you need to ask yourself what exactly you want.

1. What is your budget?
2. What look or features do I want to change?
3. Will it change the way I am?
4. Will I still be the same person but look a lot better?

All of these questions should be answered before you continue your research. For some people, they may find plastic surgery is not even needed. Perhaps they just need someone to say they look beautiful and the cost of having surgery could be astronomical. Or, do they do it to make their boyfriend or husband happy?

You should take at least one day off to consider the pros and cons of having plastic surgery. Plastic surgery can be life changing; it can affect you in the most positive or negative way.

When you're considering cosmetic surgery, not any surgeon will do. It is advised to choose surgeons are board certified surgeons have met stringent requirements as specified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS). This will ensure the surgeon within this network has the complete rigorous specialty examination, qualifications and experience necessary to perform these operations. They have specialized knowledge and skills to treat diagnose a variety of surgical conditions. Board certified surgeons are endorsed by an accredited hospital which tells you that the surgeon’s skills and experience enough to be affiliated the hospital. Surgery is usually performed in hospitals as they are better equipped to deal with complications than with clinics that doctors are not qualified.

The American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) should have the following requirements:

• They have completed a medical degree from an accredited medical school.
• Have at least three years of general surgery
• Completed 2-3 years of supervised residency in plastic surgery and also two years of professional practice that included written and oral exams.

To give one example, doctors certified in plastic surgery have met the following requirements: have earned a degree from an accredited medical school have completed 3 years of general surgery have completed 2-3 years of supervised residency in plastic surgery have had at least 2 years of professional practice have passed rigorous written and oral exams

Now that you have chosen what kind of plastic surgeon you are looking for, it’s time to meet your doctor. Don’t be afraid to have several questions written down before your appointment. After all, you wouldn’t let anyone try to put a scalpel on your face before you can seriously trust them would you?

Ask as many questions as you can. Be bold and direct. You would usually discover that reputable doctors usually give you detailed and wouldn’t hesitate to answer all difficult questions. However, if they become too defensive or would try to avoid answering the questions these surgeons are best avoided.

The kind of questions that you should ask are:

1. How long are the recovery sessions after surgery?
2. What are the possible complications of plastic surgery and how common they are?
3. How much pain do I expect after surgery?
4. Did you train in an accredited plastic surgery training program?
5. Ask if you can talk to previous clients and if they have a before and after picture.

Choosing the right surgeon for you is absolutely necessary to ensure that you ask as much questions as you can. A lot of people would usually just pick any odd surgeon and a lot of the result can be horrendous. Don’t be a victim – do your research first!