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Choosing a Plastic Surgeon |
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Choosing to have plastic surgery is a very
important and highly personal decision.
Patients always should conduct a thorough background check
on their physicians. Qualifications should be checked, and
these criteria may be helpful to you in your search:
- Check the physician's credentials.
For example, is the physician board certified by the
American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS)?
ABPS certification assures that the
physician has graduated from an accredited medical
school, has completed at least five years of additional
training, has practiced plastic surgery for two years
and passed comprehensive written and oral exams. The
ABPS is a recognized board of the American Board of
Medical Specialties (ABMS). To check your physician's
board certification by an ABMS board, visit the ABMS
website at
www.certifieddoctor.org and use the Verification
Service
- Verify the physician's medical license
status by visiting the
Florida Department of Health website
. The Florida Department of Health is the licensing
board for all Florida physicians regardless of
specialty.
- After reviewing the physician's background,
a potential patient should have a personal consultation
with the plastic surgeon(s) being considered. Find a
plastic surgeon you feel comfortable talking to, and
fully discuss your questions, expectations and concerns.
Your plastic surgeon can help you learn about the risks
as well as the benefits of plastic surgery and can help
you develop realistic expectations and results.
During your consultation, you may want to ask the
following questions:
- How much experience do you have in this field?
- How many times have you performed the
procedure and how recently?
- How long will my recovery be?
- Where will you perform my surgery?
If the procedure is going to be performed in an
out-patient surgical facility, ask if is it an
accredited facility? Even if the surgery is performed
in the plastic surgeon's own surgical facility, the
physician should be peer reviewed and have privileges
to perform the procedure in an accredited hospital in
the local community.
- Ask to speak with former patients who have had
the procedure.
- In making your decision, make sure
the doctor answers all of your questions to your
satisfaction. You should be well-informed about the
anticipated outcome of your surgery and both you and the
doctor should concur about your expectations for this
surgery. You should discuss the alternatives and make
sure you thoroughly understand the risks. If you still
have unanswered questions or are not sure the procedure
is right for you, we suggest that you obtain more than
one opinion and consult with other board certified
plastic surgeons.
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