A plastic surgeon has become quite a common doctor these days. This is due mainly to the need and demand for these doctors to do cosmetic surgery. It is this demand that also increases the number of quack doctors and wannabe surgeons who try to pass themselves off as qualified physicians. These are just a few of the reasons why it is imperative to choose and screen the doctor who is to perform surgery.

Academic Qualifications and Then Some

Where the plastic surgeon went to school is just the tip of the iceberg when choosing one. One might have graduated from a prestigious school but it may not signify whether he is qualified or not. Grades from school are usually screened by the hospital where the doctor is supposed to have had medical training and surgical experience. It is not important anymore to get the actual academic grades but it is important to be able to know his or her medical training qualifications and surgical experience. These indicate how qualified the doctor is in his or her chosen field of surgery.

Board Certification

A certified plastic surgeon should be certified by the board of plastic surgery and not just any medical board. Some doctors may branch out from their medical fields and try their hand at cosmetic operations even if they are not actually qualified to do so. Many surgeons from other fields may be good at their designated fields but not adept at all in cosmetic surgery. There are also several different kinds of plastic surgery boards to which he may affiliate himself.

While being affiliated is not an actual guarantee of being an excellent doctor, it does signify that he or she is constantly upgrading his or her craft. This is due to the fact that many boards insist on their members attending courses, seminars and other meetings that basically upgrade their status and learning.

Surgical Experience

This is the more important aspect of choosing one. The actual experience that a doctor has accumulated is one of the things that a prospective patient should consider. Of course, success ratio should be taken into consideration as well since a surgeon might have performed several operations with disastrous results. It is best to ask around the hospital and clinic for recommendations from patients. Some doctors have web pages where they may have posted before and after pictures that the patient can view.

Plastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. The word “plastic” is derived from the Greek plastikos meaning to mould or to shape; it is not connected with the synthetic polymer material known as plastic.

Aesthetic plastic surgery involves techniques intended for the “enhancement” of appearance through surgical and medical techniques. It is specifically concerned with maintaining and restoring normal appearance, or enhancing it beyond the average level toward some aesthetic ideal. Media and advertising play a large influence why a lot of people are willing to undergo plastic surgery; however researchers believe that some plastic surgery obsession can also be linked to psychological disorders like Body Dysmorphic Disorder. It is a disorder in which a person is obsessed in achieving physical perfection. People with this disorder are so preoccupied with their looks that it takes over their lives.

In 2006, nearly 11 million cosmetic procedures were performed in the United States alone. Nearly 12 million cosmetic procedures were performed in 2007, with the five most common surgeries being liposuction, breast augmentation, abdominoplasty nasal surgery, and eyelid surgery. In Europe, the second largest market for cosmetic procedures, cosmetic surgery is a $2.2 billion business.

Here is a list of most prevalent aesthetic/cosmetic procedures done.

- Laser skin resurfacing

- Browplasty;

- Blepharoplasty (“eyelid surgery”) e.g. Asian blepharoplasty;

- Otoplasty (“ear surgery”/”ear pinning”): Performed on both children and adults to decrease social anxiety and is done for purely cosmetic purposes and does not improve hearing.

- Midface lift (“cheek lift”);

- Rhytidectomy (“face lift”);

- Fillers injections like collagen, fat;

- Chemical peel: minimizing the appearance of acne, chicken pox, and other scars as well as wrinkles, solar lentigines (age spots, freckles), and photodamage in general.

- Cheek augmentation;

- Rhinoplasty (“nose job”);

- Lip enhancement;

- Chin augmentation;

- Mastopexy (“breast lift”);

- Mammoplasty/Breast augmentations (“breast implant” or “boob job”);

- Reduction mammoplasty (“breast reduction”) done to reduce back and shoulder pain in women with gigantomastia and/or for psychological benefit men with gynecomastia;

- Abdominoplasty (“tummy tuck”);

- Buttock augmentation;

- Buttock lift (“Brazilian butt lift”);

- Suction-assisted lipectomy (“liposuction”);

- Labiaplasty;

Many people ask the wrong questions to their cosmetic surgeon. You need to make sure you ask this very important question upon consultation, “What is the chance of real damage, and if it happens, what might the extent of it be?” Ask to see their book of before and after pictures. You may also wish to see and speak with the surgeon’s other patients in person to see the effects in your naked eyes. Prepare a list of questions, it does not matter how many or how trivial or stupid you feel they are. Always remember, this procedure is most of the time irreversible and you’re the one that will live with the results so take all the necessary precautions as possible.

So you have decided to have a face lift? Congratulations, because making the decision is the first step in having a youthful facial features again. Now you need to choose your surgeon. The best surgeon will produce the best possible results, with minimal scarring and the smooth facial features you have been dreaming about.

The fist step is getting a few names. If you know others who have had cosmetic procedures, ask them what surgeon or clinic they used. Talk to your general practitioner about plastic surgeons they recommend. Compile a list of recommended surgeons to start with in your search.

So how do you choose your doctor from this list of recommended individuals? The first place to check is with the American Board of Plastic Surgery. You should work with a board certified surgeon. If the doctor is certified, he or she likely also is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons or the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. From these groups you can learn the doctor’s credentials and training, such as where the surgeon went to school. Also, check the surgeon’s state medical license, as you want a doctor who is fully licensed.

After eliminated any non-licensed or non-certified surgeons, if there were any on your list, make an appointment with the ones you are still considering. Talk to them about your desire for a face lift. Ask specific questions about the procedure and the recovery, and note how well the doctor answers your questions. While at this initial meeting, inquire about malpractice insurance. Good doctors carry adequate, current malpractice insurance. While you likely will not need to make a claim, you do want to know that you coverage is in place if something happens.

To help narrow down your choices, ask specific questions. For example, ask the doctor how many face lift procedures he or she has performed and what the complication rates are for the procedure. Proceed with caution if the medical practitioner does not know the complication rate or claims that the procedure is “completely safe with no complication risk.” Quality surgeons will openly discuss risks with you.

Make sure you choose a one that has hospital privileges. Even if your surgery will occur outside of the hospital, you want the confidence that you will receive the right care if something happens during the surgery that requires admittance to the hospital.

Once you have chosen two or three doctors you wish to consider, ask to see before and after pictures. Ask for references, and call those references if you are comfortable talking to complete strangers about your upcoming face lift. If he does not have photos or references, choose a different one.

While this may seem like a lot of work to choose a specialist, doing your homework is invaluable when you are choosing a medical practitioner for a face lift. You have to live with the results of your procedure for the rest of your life, so you need to be confident in the skills and talents of the person who performs it.