Plastic Surgeon: Finding One Who Meets Your Needs

As elective cosmetic surgery continues to increase in popularity, the demand for a professional and reliable plastic surgeon also continues to rise across the country and around the world. If you have a particular cosmetic surgery procedure in mind that you would like to have done, how do you find a surgical team that you can trust with your hopes, dreams, and ideal goals of a newer and better-looking you? There are many men and women who have failed to spend the time or energy researching their physician and are unhappy with the results of their procedure. Some have even spent thousands of dollars on revision surgery in order to get the results they desired. How can you avoid all of that hassle and danger of risky side effects?

There are a few ways to evaluate the training and competence of your prospective plastic surgeon, but perhaps the most important thing you can do is "trust your gut." If you get a bad feeling when initially meeting a physician and don't feel comfortable airing your concerns with them, then you should probably keep shopping around. Additionally, if you don't feel like your questions are being appropriately addressed, you will want to find a doctor that you know is listening to you and has the knowledge and experience to answer anything you may be worried about. Often, if you are able to choose a plastic surgeon based on the recommendation of a friend or family member that recently had work done it is the best way to go.

Alternatively, you may need to do a little legwork. If you have found a plastic surgeon that you like, that you are able to communicate with, and that is able to answer your questions and address your concerns, you may want to go to the next step of evaluation. Next, you will want to check to make sure the doctor is board-certified in the particular area of surgery you are interested in. It is interesting to note that state laws do not restrict physicians from practicing other areas of medicine than the area that they extensively trained in. As such, it is not illegal for pediatricians to offer tummy tuck surgery even though their training was not in that area. You can check with state and national boards to find out where your doctor is board-certified.

Next you will want to review your doctor's hospital affiliations, education, and any training they may have received after graduating from medical school and finishing residency. The field of plastic surgery is like many other fields of medicine and is constantly evolving. A practitioner who keeps up with advances in techniques and technology will be a valuable asset when it comes to performing top procedures and avoiding dangerous side effects.

It is important to find a plastic surgeon that is knowledgeable and qualified in the particular procedure you are interested in if you want to be happy with the short and long-term results of your surgery.