| Becoming
a Plastic Surgeon Requires
BACHELOR'S DEGREE-Usually Pre-Med or Biology, but not required to be. MCAT-A 6 hour exam to get into Medical School. MEDICAL DEGREE-"MD"-4 years of med-school and passing the Boards (a 2 day/12 hour exam) Part I and Part II (another 2 day/12 hour exam). Upon graduating medical school, one is considered an "MD," but can only practice in a residency program until they become a licensed physician. RESIDENCY-"On the job training" of at least three years. Five to seven years are required for American Board of Plastic Surgery certified plastic surgeons. LICENSED PHYSICIAN-After completing 1 year of residency and passing Boards Part III, then they are considered a General Practitioner or "GP". A GP has not had any training in surgery, no less plastic surgery. CANDIDATE MEMBER for Board Certification in Plastic Surgery (a.k.a. BOARD ELIGIBLE)-One has completed the required training in plastic surgery residency and has been in [private] practice for at least two years.* BOARD CERTIFIED-Passing certification is not required for any doctor to practice medicine, but is important when finding a good physician and determining if one is trained to be a specialist in their field, such as a plastic surgery. See Importance of Board Certification. Doctor Research Links, 800#s & More
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Plastic
Surgeon Directory - Breast Surgery - Lipo
- Other
Procedures How to
|
 |
Avoid
bad plastic surgery by avoiding bad cosmetic surgeons because
you'll be looking at their work for the rest of your life.
I created this site to help patients find the best plastic surgeons and avoid bad plastic surgery. The following is what I would advise my mother, my daughter or my best friend on how to obtain the best plastic surgery results. ~Rebecca Cat Kidder, Plastic Surgery Patient Advocate Since 1997 |
Avoid Bad Plastic Surgery Check List |
How to Avoid Bad Plastic Surgery Check List
___ Make sure surgeon is Board Certified by American Board of Plastic Surgery
___ Consult with at least 2 or 3 different American Board of Plastic Surgery certified plastic surgeons
___ Research your surgeon (read the rest of this page to see how to research your surgeon)
___ Ask about your plastic surgeon on the forum
___ Search your plastic surgeon's last name on the forum
___ Google your plastic surgeon's name
___ View your surgeon's before and after photos, particularly befores similar to your own
___ Bring photos of what you'd like to look like
___ Make sure the surgery center is accredited
Board Certification: US - Canada - Verify Certification
Importance of Board Certification - United States
Although there is no way to ensure good plastic surgery results, the following is the best way to avoid bad plastic surgery when considering a body contouring procedure, such as lipo, tummy tuck or breast surgery. The #1 thing you want to research is to make sure your plastic surgeon that is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS). How do you find our if you surgeon is board certified by American Board of Plastic Surgery? Call your surgeon's office and ask if the surgeon is "Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery." If they say, "They are certified by... something else" then they are not certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS). American Board of Plastic Surgery qualifies a plastic surgeon to perform plastic surgery of the body such as lipo, tummy tucks and breast surgery as well as cosmetic facial procedures. Do not confuse the American Board of Plastic Surgery with any other similar sounding board, although being certified in other boards in addition to board certification from the American Board of Plastic Surgery is acceptable when considering any body contouring procedure such as breast surgery, tummy tuck or lipo. Read more about the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) here.
If you are contemplating facial plastic surgery only, you can consider an ABPS board certified plastic surgeon or an Otolaryngologist (also known as ENT, Ear Nose & Throat specialist) certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology as they are qualified to perform cosmetic procedures of the face. Mom, whatever you do, do not allow an ENT or any non-ABPS certified doctor to perform any procedure below the neck!
Do not let a surgeon's office tell you the doctor just moved from another state and they are waiting for transfer of their certification. Certification is a Federal Exam and is good in any state.
Board Certification - Canada
When considering a body contouring procedure, such as lipo, tummy tuck or breast surgery, you want a plastic surgeon that is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) and/or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
American Board of Plastic Surgery
The American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) qualifies a surgeon to perform both body and facial procedures. The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) which is expressly designed to provide public protection through quality control in medical education states the "ABPS is the only one of the 24 ABMS member boards providing certification in the entire field of plastic and reconstructive surgery from head to toe. Board certification assures the health care consumer that the surgeon completed at least five years of approved surgical training in plastic surgery and the surgeon has successfully completed extensive written and oral examination testing in the entire field of plastic and reconstructive surgery of the entire body. The ABMS is the umbrella organization which represents the 24 member boards and upholds standards for resident training and testing leading to certification." ~American Board of Plastic Surgery
Do not confuse the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) with any other similar sounding board, although being certified in other boards in addition to certification from the ABPS is acceptable when considering any body contouring procedure such as breast surgery, tummy tuck or lipo.
The American Board of Plastic Surgery was organized in 1937 by representatives of various groups interested in this type of surgery and received recognition as a subsidiary of the American Board of Surgery in 1938. The American Board of Plastic Surgery was given the status of a major specialty board in May 1941 by action of the Advisory Board for Medical Specialties as approved by the Council on Medical Education of the American Medical Association, which has designated certain specialty fields as being suitable to be represented by specialty boards.
About our Member Plastic Surgeons
Because we educate mostly breast surgery, liposuction, tummy tuck and other body contouring procedure patients, we require our member plastic surgeons to be board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. To help you avoid awful plastic surgery and the dangers of plastic surgery, I have personally checked the qualifications of our member plastic surgeons and most have been recommended by site visitors that used them for their own plastic surgery procedures. In fact, our member plastic surgeons meet higher standards than those of any other referral service as we only list select plastic surgeons to be in our plastic surgeon directory. Our plastic surgeons must also maintain that standard in order to remain in our surgeon directory. There are over 5000 ABPS certified plastic surgeons, and of them only a small percentage are invited to join our member surgeon directory.
Plastic Surgeons vs. Cosmetic Surgeons
Most non-certified doctors refer to themselves as "cosmetic surgeons" and refer to their practice as a cosmetic surgery practice and most American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) certified surgeons refer to themselves as plastic surgeons and their practice as a plastic surgery practice. However, there are exceptions. For example, Dr. Chiaramonte's office is called Bella Cosmetic Surgery, yet he is an ABPS certified plastic surgeon. Mom, remember, when researching for a plastic surgeon be sure your surgeon is an ABPS certified plastic surgeon (see Certified vs. Non-certified below).
Certified vs. Non-certified
Many Ear Nose & Throat (ENT) doctors (Otorlaryngologists), some Dermatologists and OBGYNs and even dentists perform plastic surgery procedures such as breast augmentation and liposuction and they are far from qualified to do so. Most are not even board certified in general surgery, no less plastic surgery. Certification for doctors performing breast surgery and other body contouring procedures, such as liposuction or tummy tucks, should be in plastic surgery, NOT cosmetic or facial surgery. Although being certified in cosmetic surgery, facial surgery, general surgery or Otorlaryngology in ADDITION to their plastic surgery certification is acceptable. Be very careful, there are many other unqualified doctors out there looking to make big bucks by offering plastic surgery procedures, usually at a discounted rate which could cost you your health, bad results, complications, additional surgery and more money in the long run for reconstuction surgery.
I cannot stress how important it is to make sure your surgeon is certified by the ABPS when considering plastic surgery on the body, such as lipo, tummy tuck or breast surgery. In the 11 years I have been researching breast augmentation outcomes and the surgeons who performed them, not many breast augmentations surgeries had a bad outcome. However, of the bad results, half the time surgery was performed by a doctor that was not certified by the ABPS. Considering only 10% of licensed doctors are not board certified by the ABPS, that means 50% of the time non-certified doctors encounter problems, vs only .05% of ABPS board certified plastic surgeons. Mom, I do not advocate flipping a coin with your body or your health.
How to Check-Up on Your Plastic Surgeon
Beware of doctors who just moved from out of state (not only is it harder to track records but they may have lost their license in another state). Those fresh out of residency are less likely to have any complaints, but they also have less experience. However, they may be more up to date and knowledgable of newer techniques than their older comrades. Lastly, just because a surgeon is older does not mean that s/he has been practicing medicine for a long time. There is no age requirement for attending medical school.
Federation of State Medical Boards - Disciplinary actions since 1912 from international licensing authorities including Canada, England, Australia and New Zealand. $9.95
Knowx.com Searches Public Records for $1, if there is information found, it will cost an additional $9.95 to read it. Several visitors found alarming information about their surgeon here, this could be very worth while and the initial investment is only $1.
County Courthouse: In the county where the doctor practices, look up cases under his name. It is important to pull up the file and find out exactly what the cases are about. If the doctor has been in practice for a long time, the more likely they may have been sued. Also, it is not always because of any wrong doing, but because they are also an easy target for lawsuits. Surgeons have the highest number of lawsuits. Some plastic surgeons may have lawsuits due to the alleged problems of silicone.
Medical Board: Call to inquire about the complaints filed against your doctor. A filed complaint means a patient was unhappy enough with the service they received to complain to the board. Sometimes "Letters of Concern" were sent to the doctor from the Board. The "Letters of Concern" are a warning if the doctor doesn't change, further actions will be taken. The doctor could have their certification removed, or license suspended or revoked. Keep in mind that for every complaint, there are others that didn't bother to write and complain. I have some listed below.
Department of Insurance in your state. Trish, a paralegal, suggests contacting them. They should have a listing of all the closed claims and you should be able to check to see if your plastic surgeon had any claims filed against him. You can also hire a private investigator, since they know exactly where to find information. Trish also suggests calling top malpractice lawyers in your area and asked if they ever sued the plastic surgeon.
Department of Professional Regulations can check for any pending claims.
Forum Message Board: Many people discuss their experience with their surgeons. You can do a search on a surgeon's last name or ask on the forum if anyone had used that surgeon. The search works best if you only search one word.
International Agencies
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British Association of Plastic Surgeons |
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Royal
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada |
| IPRAS - Worldwide International Plastic Surgeon Directory Locator |
International Confederation of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery |
| USA, Canada, England, Australia and New Zealand | Federation of State Medical Boards - Disciplinary actions since 1912 from international licensing authorities. $9.95 |
| Australia | The Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons |
State Agencies
If your state is not listed, check
the Federation
of State Medical Boards,
Administrators
in Medicine and
Addition
Resource Links
Alabama (Look Under "Research Your Surgeon")
Arizona (Look for "Research Your Surgeon" Link)
California (Look Under "Research Your Surgeon")
Colorado (Look for "Research Your Surgeon" Link)
Florida (Look Under "Research Your Surgeon")
Georgia (Look for "Research Your Surgeon" Link)
Hawaii (Look Under "Research Your Surgeon")
Illinois (Look for "Research Your Surgeon" Link)
Indiana (Look Under "Research Your Surgeon")
Iowa Board of Medical Examiners
Kansas (Look Under "Research Your Surgeon")
Kentucky
Board of Medical Licensure
Louisiana (Look Under "Research Your Surgeon")
Maine
Board of Licensure in Medicine
Montana
Board of Medical Examiners Check License Status
Maryland (Look Under "Research Your Surgeon")
Massachusetts (Under "Research Your Surgeon")
Minnesota (Under "Research Your Surgeon")
Mississippi (Look Under "Research Your Surgeon")
Missouri
(Under "Research Your Surgeon")
Montana (Look Under "Research Your Surgeon")
Nebraska (Look for "Research Your Surgeon" Link)
Nevada (Look Under "Research Your Surgeon")
New Hampshire (Look for "Research Your Surgeon" Link)
New Jersey (Look Under "Research Your Surgeon")
New York (Look for "Research Your Surgeon" Link)
North Carolina (Look Under "Research Your Surgeon")
Ohio (Look for "Research Your Surgeon")
Oklahoma (Look under "Research Your Surgeon")
Oregon (Look for "Research Your Surgeon" link)
Pennsylvania (Look under "Research Your Surgeon")
Rhode
Island Board of Medical Licensure South Carolina
Tennessee (Look for "Research Your Surgeon" link)
Texas (Look under "Research Your Surgeon")
Utah
Division of Professional Licensure
Vermont Medical Board Home Page
Virginia (Look for "Research Your Surgeon" link)
Washington (Look under "Research Your Surgeon")
West Virginia (Look for "Research Your Surgeon" link)
Wisconsin
(Look under "Research Your Surgeon")
If
your state is not listed, please check the search engines or your state's
web site. If you find something, please Email 
the
URL.
Research Your Surgeon's Facilities
The
American Association for Accreditation For Ambulatory Surgery Facilities
(AAAASF) is a voluntary program of inspection and accreditation in surgery
facilities to ensure excellence and quality care to patients. If your
plastic surgeon performs surgery at his office, you want an accredited
surgical facility. This means it has passed rigorous examination to assure
equipment and procedures at the facility meet standards for optimal safety.
Check your
doctor's facility.
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations - Usually accredits hospitals and hospital-based outpatient surgical facilities. Quality Check.
All ASPS (American Society of Plastic Surgeons, not the American Board of Plastic Surgery) members must practice in accredited surgical facilities. All ASPS member surgeons are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, however, only 97% of certified plastic surgeons belong to the ASPS.
Legal Help
Obtaining legal recourse for plastic surgery gone bad is difficult. If you follow the advice here, chances are you won't need legal help. If you have already experienced a bad plastic surgery the first thing you will need is a copy of your medical records. I suggest contacting your surgeon with evidence and photos of your bad plastic surgery and requesting a refund so you can go to a good plastic surgeon to have the procedure revised. If they do not comply I would forward your records, photos and any other evidence you collected to the doctor's state medical board for review.
*NOTE: The term Board Eligible is commonly used among medical professionals and is meant to be defined as one who is eligible to take the board exam to become board certified in their specialty because they have completed the required training in an accredited residency program. However, the ABMS states the term "board eligible" has been given such diverse meanings by different agencies, they recommend the term be disavowed and the ABPS does not allow doctors to advertise the terminology, because it does not define what point in the certification process the doctor is in. It is only defined here should you come across the term in your research.
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