Choosing a Plastic Surgeon: The Steps You Need To Take
Choosing a plastic surgeon can be as easy as flipping open the yellow pages and taking a stab in the dark. But it shouldn’t be. With the amount of information available to us today, there’s no excuse to choose a doctor based on an advertisement or because they happen to have a clinic two blocks away.
Most people wouldn’t buy a car or even a television without doing some research,
and the same should be said for picking a plastic surgeon. Make no mistake about it, they were not all created equally.
One of the best ways to find a good plastic surgeon is through a referral process. Your health insurance company may be able to provide such a reference, even though they will not likely be covering the cost of the procedure in any way. A better way is to see your family physician and ask him to make you a referral. Why is a referral so valuable? Well, for one thing you’ll have someone vouching for the doctor, meaning that you have a little more peace of mind. Secondly, you might find that popular doctors in your area are extremely busy. Without a referral, it could take months just to get an appointment. A referral can do wonders when it comes to sliding you in earlier.
One you’ve been referred, don’t let that be the end of your research. In fact, this is where the research really begins. Do some investigating into the doctor’s background. Find out about their credentials and what they are bringing to the table. This includes finding out if they are a board certified plastic surgeon. This is what you want. This means they have been specifically trained in all manner of cosmetic surgery. You may also want to find out how many such procedures they have performed.
In addition to this, check with your state’s medical licensing board to find out if the doctor in question has had any disciplinary action taken against them. If so, of what sort was it? Find out if they’ve ever had a malpractice suit filed against them and endeavor to find out the outcome of the case. It should be noted that a malpractice suit, in and of itself, should not be enough to turn you off from visiting a particular plastic surgeon. In today’s sue-happy world, you’ll be hard pressed to find a good doctor who has never had his day in court.
Keep in mind that your personal rapport with the doctor may be as important as anything else. As long as everything in the doctor’s background looks good, make your final decision based on how you get along and how you feel you were treated during your consultation.
