Tips for Finding a Qualified Plastic Surgeon

The decision to receive plastic surgery is a very difficult one. You’ve probably heard many horror stories of botched plastic surgeries, where the results were less than ideal for the patients. However, most of those botched plastic surgeries occurred because the patients went to an unqualified or unlicensed doctor who didn’t have the necessary experience or credentials to perform the plastic surgery safely and effectively. 

If you want to ensure that your plastic surgery is a success, the best thing you can do is find a qualified plastic surgeon with the appropriate skills and experience to provide satisfying results. 

How to Find a Qualified Plastic Surgeon

What does it take to find a qualified plastic surgeon? Below are the top four tips of advice to help you with your search:

1) Make Sure They Are Board Certified

The number one rule is always to choose a board-certified plastic surgeon. They must have received their board certification from the American Board of Plastic Surgery, the most trusted and respected regulatory body for plastic surgery in the United States. 

Any doctor who has received their board certification has received at least six years of surgical training, passed very difficult oral and written tests, and demonstrated their ability to administer safe and ethical surgical procedures. That is why it is imperative to always go with a board-certified plastic surgeon for your plastic surgeries. 

2) Find an Accredited Facility

Plastic surgical procedures are typically done at independent surgical facilities or ambulatory care centers. Regardless of where you go for your plastic surgery, make sure it is an accredited facility. The accreditation must come from a reputable accrediting agency or organization, such as the following:

• Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care
• Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations
• American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities

Accredited facilities must maintain a record of low mortality rates (under 1 in 57,000) and fewer than half of 1% of serious complications in order to keep their accreditation. 

3) Check out the Patient Reviews

Look up the reviews left for the various plastic surgeons you are considering. You will obviously want to find a surgeon who has received mostly positive reviews and feedback from former patients. This is especially important when researching popular cosmetic procedures such as Brazilian butt lift surgery, breast augmentation, tummy tucks, liposuction, and other body contouring treatments. If you can find a plastic surgeon with overwhelmingly positive feedback across hundreds or even thousands of reviews, there’s a good chance you will be in very good hands.

4) Request a Free Consultation

Request a free consultation with a plastic surgeon to talk with them about their procedures, background, and anything else you want to know about them or their services. 

More specifically, pay attention to what the surgeon says and asks. Any good surgeon will want to know more about your medical history and the medications that you use, to ensure you are healthy enough for the surgery. If the surgeon doesn’t ask these questions or attempts to oversell their services, then you should walk away and find someone else. 

Conclusion

As you can see, there are plenty of effective ways to research and find the right plastic surgeon. The internet is the perfect tool to help you gather the information you need to make a confident and informed decision. Just follow the tips outlined above to get started. If you are considering cosmetic surgery in the Los Angeles area, Dr. Joel Aronowitz is known for his extensive experience, personalized patient care, and commitment to delivering natural-looking results.