Plastic Surgery: Buyer Beware
Plastic surgery has become so popular and familiar that it can be easy to forget it is actually surgery. We all hope for the best outcome, but your health could be at stake. Sometimes it can be difficult to figure out which doctor is qualified or who is best trained. Here is a quick guide to get you started.
Board Certification
For more than 75 years, the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) has been recognized as the “gold standard” in physician certification. It recognizes 24 specialty boards which can be viewed at www.abms.org. Here you can determine a physicians’ certification status with just their last name.
A physician advertising “Board Certified” can be misleading. The question you should ask is “board certified in what?” The ABMS website will be helpful if the board certification is from a legitimate board recognized by ABMS. Many are not. If someone says they are board certified in “cosmetic surgery”, dig a little deeper. They are not recognized by ABMS. The difference is cosmetic surgery vs. plastic surgery. Confusing? They want it to be. Also look out for “double board certified”. I don’t know what this means. If you are looking for a plastic surgeon, he is either board certified in plastic surgery or not.
Board certification in Plastic Surgery is rigorous. I took my written exam the year following completion of training. I then had to practice for 2 more years before applying for the oral exam. I submitted a list of all cases performed in a 12 month period. The oral exam was a 3 day event in Chicago. For one day I was grilled on a dozen of the most “interesting cases” I had submitted. The second day was cases they presented to me to test my fund of knowledge, proposed treatment plan, and how I would manage any complications. The “grilling” was given by the top plastic surgeons in the world. When I was granted board certification, it was one of the highlights of my career. Tough, yes. Worth every minute of it, absolutely!
In addition, I have chosen to recertify in Plastic Surgery on a continuum basis. This is a voluntary process, above and beyond what is required to practice medicine. Research has shown the importance of physician commitment to continuous learning and competency assessment. Let’s just say, use it or lose it applies here.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS)
The ASPS is the largest organization of board certified plastic surgeons in the world. With more than 7000 members, the Society is recognized as a leading authority on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. Membership requires intense continuing medical education, much more than required by the State of Georgia. Members also abide by a strict Code of Ethics, a lot of which applies to ethical advertising. The point is we are a proud group who hold ourselves to very high standards. That can be frustrating when competitors, who are not true plastic surgeons, do not. I recently saw an ad (from a non-plastic surgeon) about liposuction of the arms but showed photos of a patient who had skin excised. A plastic surgeon can see the misrepresentation. The consumer probably would be falsely impressed.
I urge you to visit the ASPS website at www.plasticsurgery.org. It is full of excellent information; how to choose a plastic surgeon, locate a nearby member of ASPS, and what very important questions to ask a prospective surgeon at your consultation. I welcome these questions.
It is important to determine if the surgeon has hospital privileges to perform the procedure you are interested in. In the past, the consumer could rely on the hospital to credential the physician for the good of the community. Now, that is not the case. In the State of Georgia, an M.D. can perform any procedure they desire, regardless of training or qualification. Any M.D. can refer to himself as a plastic surgeon, the name is not trademarked. Surprised? Scared? You should be. If these procedures are being performed in the office or a non-accredited surgery center, the hospital is out of the loop. The system has failed the consumer. Those of us who took the time to train to the highest standards and work diligently everyday to maintain our specialties reputation, now must also make sure the consumer is educated and not deceived by those who don’t. I would be happy to visit with anyone and help you with this very important decision. At a bare minimum, visit the ABMS and ASPS websites before you even pick up the phone.
