Throughout Southern California, and especially in Beverly Hills and Los Angeles, people are inundated with advertisements about plastic surgery. Some ads depict a plastic surgeon as the "Top" or "Best Beverly Hills plastic surgeon". Others promote "safe Liposuction" or the newest laser that can give you phenomenal esthetic results during your lunch hour with just a few zaps!
With all of this information, how should a man or a woman go about finding the right plastic surgeon? In pursuit of the best plastic surgeon, should he or she travel to Beverly Hills or simply search the Internet for one? Should the prospective patient choose a plastic surgeon based on his or her credentials and degrees? After all, what do these degrees and credentials really mean?
Being a plastic surgeon who has practiced for many years as a Southern California plastic surgery professional, and knowing many other plastic surgeons in the Los Angeles area, I was frustrated when I tried to find the right plastic surgeon for myself!
This is How I Searched for the Best Plastic Surgeon:
First, I visited the Web site for the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), which only lists Board Certified Plastic Surgeons. (The other option was to contact the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS). This Board is the ONLY recognized board for training and certifying Plastic surgeons for cosmetic surgery of ALL body parts. The Board of Cosmetic surgery is not recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). Its members can purchase a certificate just after attending a few classes without having broad surgical training in plastic surgery. The Board of Facial Plastic Surgery offers a certificate to ENT or Otolaryngologists, whose training is limited to only that of the head and neck.)
Once I found the list of all Board Certified plastic surgeons throughout Southern California, including Beverly Hills and Los Angeles, I researched them via the California Medical Board to find out if they have had complaints or malpractices. Has their medical license ever been restricted or held? Have their privileges to perform surgery at any hospital ever been taken away? If a large group of doctors at a prominent hospital no longer allow a certain doctor to practice there, do you want him to practice on you?
I then narrowed my list of Board Certified Plastic Surgeons in Southern California; I didn't want to just choose one from Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, West Los Angeles, or Encino. After all, I am not interested in how beautiful their office looks or if their zip code is 90210. I am not interested in being on "Extreme Makeover" or "The Swan" - I just want the best plastic surgeon for me. In fact, I am willing to travel a bit to find the most qualified, experienced, and compassionate plastic surgeon who can understand my needs.
Next, I reviewed before and after plastic surgery pictures on their individual Web sites, or at their office. Although it is good to view online photo galleries, some plastic surgeons don't show all of their pictures due to of privacy restraints. In fact, I greatly limit the type and extent of facial pictures that I show on my Web site in order to preserve my patient's privacy.
Meet the doctor, and not just his "aesthetic consultant" who speaks with a fancy accent!
Does the cosmetic surgeon spend time with you and go over your questions or concerns?
Does the plastic surgeon understand what you want, rather than what he or she wants?
Is the doctor able to show you before and after pictures of other cases similar to yours?
Is the plastic surgeon honest with you in describing limitations, shortfalls, or even complications that he or she might have had in similar situations?
Is the support staff friendly? Are they the type of people who will be available for you after surgery?
Finally, don't forget that your plastic surgeon, no matter how great, can't perform your surgery in a virtual world. The credentials, skills, and experience of the anesthesiologist who is going to keep you alive during surgery are no less important than the skills of your plastic surgeon. Most patients are not aware that some centers don't even use an anesthesiologist, or don't have the basic monitoring equipments. Fancy office furniture doesn't mean that you will also be having your surgery performed at an accredidated and certified Surgery Center. I personally, would not have my surgery in a facility that is not accredidated by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC), American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF), or Medicare; and doesn't have a Board Certified Anesthesiologist.
Don't base this important decision on advertisements, TV shows, and fads. Trust your gut instinct!
With all of this information, how should a man or a woman go about finding the right plastic surgeon? In pursuit of the best plastic surgeon, should he or she travel to Beverly Hills or simply search the Internet for one? Should the prospective patient choose a plastic surgeon based on his or her credentials and degrees? After all, what do these degrees and credentials really mean?
Being a plastic surgeon who has practiced for many years as a Southern California plastic surgery professional, and knowing many other plastic surgeons in the Los Angeles area, I was frustrated when I tried to find the right plastic surgeon for myself!
This is How I Searched for the Best Plastic Surgeon:
First, I visited the Web site for the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), which only lists Board Certified Plastic Surgeons. (The other option was to contact the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS). This Board is the ONLY recognized board for training and certifying Plastic surgeons for cosmetic surgery of ALL body parts. The Board of Cosmetic surgery is not recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). Its members can purchase a certificate just after attending a few classes without having broad surgical training in plastic surgery. The Board of Facial Plastic Surgery offers a certificate to ENT or Otolaryngologists, whose training is limited to only that of the head and neck.)
Once I found the list of all Board Certified plastic surgeons throughout Southern California, including Beverly Hills and Los Angeles, I researched them via the California Medical Board to find out if they have had complaints or malpractices. Has their medical license ever been restricted or held? Have their privileges to perform surgery at any hospital ever been taken away? If a large group of doctors at a prominent hospital no longer allow a certain doctor to practice there, do you want him to practice on you?
I then narrowed my list of Board Certified Plastic Surgeons in Southern California; I didn't want to just choose one from Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, West Los Angeles, or Encino. After all, I am not interested in how beautiful their office looks or if their zip code is 90210. I am not interested in being on "Extreme Makeover" or "The Swan" - I just want the best plastic surgeon for me. In fact, I am willing to travel a bit to find the most qualified, experienced, and compassionate plastic surgeon who can understand my needs.
Next, I reviewed before and after plastic surgery pictures on their individual Web sites, or at their office. Although it is good to view online photo galleries, some plastic surgeons don't show all of their pictures due to of privacy restraints. In fact, I greatly limit the type and extent of facial pictures that I show on my Web site in order to preserve my patient's privacy.
Meet the doctor, and not just his "aesthetic consultant" who speaks with a fancy accent!
Does the cosmetic surgeon spend time with you and go over your questions or concerns?
Does the plastic surgeon understand what you want, rather than what he or she wants?
Is the doctor able to show you before and after pictures of other cases similar to yours?
Is the plastic surgeon honest with you in describing limitations, shortfalls, or even complications that he or she might have had in similar situations?
Is the support staff friendly? Are they the type of people who will be available for you after surgery?
Finally, don't forget that your plastic surgeon, no matter how great, can't perform your surgery in a virtual world. The credentials, skills, and experience of the anesthesiologist who is going to keep you alive during surgery are no less important than the skills of your plastic surgeon. Most patients are not aware that some centers don't even use an anesthesiologist, or don't have the basic monitoring equipments. Fancy office furniture doesn't mean that you will also be having your surgery performed at an accredidated and certified Surgery Center. I personally, would not have my surgery in a facility that is not accredidated by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC), American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF), or Medicare; and doesn't have a Board Certified Anesthesiologist.
Don't base this important decision on advertisements, TV shows, and fads. Trust your gut instinct!
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