Introduction With all of the recent technological innovations in the field of cosmetic surgery, it's become easier than ever for patients to achieve the look they've always wanted.
However, in the hands of the wrong surgeon, plastic surgery can become an expensive, painful, and fruitless ordeal.
But how can patients choose the surgeon that's right for them, and that will achieve the look they want? Fortunately, there are many steps patients can take to ensure that they choose the best surgeon for them.
Board Certification The first step patients should take when choosing their surgeon is to look for a doctor that is board-certified.
This means that they've been certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
To be certified, the doctor in question must complete four years of pre-medical education in a college or university, a course of study leading to an MD or DO degree from a qualified medical school, and three to five years of full-time experience in an accredited residency training program.
Additionally, he or she must pass a written and oral exam created and administered by the Board-but that's only the beginning of the doctor's certification.
To stay certified, the doctor must keep abreast of all the latest technologies in his or her specialty, and demonstrate best practices for patient safety, communications, and ethics.
Without board certification, a doctor is not guaranteed to have the technical skills to safely complete a surgical procedure, which could result in the patient suffering from ugly scarring, pain, or worse.
Patient Reviews Board certification, however, is simply the bare minimum for choosing a surgeon.
How can a patient know for sure that his or her doctor produces beautiful, natural results? Fortunately, myriad websites exist to answer this exact problem.
Various websites offer authentic patient reviews of doctors, including in-depth looks at various important factors, like price, bedside manner, and (of course) the results of their procedures.
Additionally, many of these sites host other important factors for patients to consider, including the doctor's resume, articles they have written, and before-and-after photos of some of their patients.
The Doctor Once a patient has determined that the doctor she is considering is a) board-certified and b) highly regarded by previous patients, the patient needs to visit the doctor's website, which should offer a host of useful resources, such as the doctor's resume and before-and-after photos of previous patients.
Before-and-after photos are one of the best resources a prospective patient has-even if a doctor is highly skilled, if the patient doesn't like that doctor's after photos, there may be an aesthetic disconnect between the two.
As a result, the patient may not be happy with the work the doctor does, simply because that patient has different ideas of beauty.
Conclusion Once the patient has taken these initial steps, she can arrange a consultation with the doctor she's chosen.
Even at that point, the patient should still be shopping around, and speaking to various doctors.
Though some doctors do charge a fee for the consultation, there are many that don't-moreover, price should not be a factor when choosing a surgeon.
One of the most important things for patients to remember is that there is no such thing as discount shopping for surgery.
Even if the patient manages to get what seems like a "good deal," the long-term effects of cheap surgery can be devastating.
The important thing for the patient to remember is that surgery isn't a casual process, even if the procedure is elective.
Many important steps have to be taken first if the patient wants to be happy with her results.