Second to deciding to have plastic surgery, the most important decision you might ever make is the plastic surgeon you choose to perform the surgery. There might be a lot of doctors out there who call themselves cosmetic surgeons, but not all doctors have the appropriate training or experience when it comes to actually being a cosmetic surgeon.
It’s up to you to do some homework and research first before picking a surgeon to work with. Since choosing the best cosmetic surgeon can be challenging, we’ve put together a few tips to help guide your search.
Look for a Board Certified Surgeon
One way to see if a surgeon you are considering working with has the training and expertise needed to perform plastic surgery is to look for board certification. The type of board certification a surgeon has depends on his or her area of specialty. A facial plastic surgeon is typically board certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery and might also have certification from the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. A plastic surgeon who performs body procedures should be certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. A facial plastic surgeon can also be certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
What does being board certified mean? It means that a doctor has successfully completed a certain number of years of residency training in surgery, after he or she has completed medical school. It also means he or she has passed examinations and logged a certain number of hours performing relevant surgeries.
Check Out Experience
Board certification is important, and so is finding a cosmetic surgeon who has plenty of experience performing the procedure you’re considering. If you’re thinking about having rhinoplasty, for example, you’ll want to find a surgeon who performs nasal surgeries often. Ideally, the surgeon will specialize in nasal surgeries and perform several each week.
The more experienced the surgeon is with the specific procedure you’re considering, the more likely you are to enjoy a good result. Just as you probably wouldn’t ask a baker who specializes in bread to make your wedding cake or a plumber to fix your car, it doesn’t make sense to ask a surgeon with limited experience performing a specific surgery to perform it on you.
Also important when picking a surgeon is how recent his or her experience has been. Surgical techniques and technologies are constantly changing. Take a look at facelift surgery, for example. Older techniques often left patients with a pulled back, “windswept” appearance. Newer methods of performing the surgery provide results that are much more relaxed and natural. If a surgeon hasn’t performed a surgery in years, not only is he or she likely to be a bit rusty, he or she is also likely to use outdated techniques, leaving you with a less than desirable result.
Look at Past Patients
What type of results does the surgeon get? The best way to find the answer to that question is to take a look at past patients. A cosmetic surgeon should have a collection of before and after photos for you to review. The photos can help you see if the results achieved were natural looking or not, or if the results that are common or possible from a surgery measure up to what you expect to get from it.
Along with looking at photos of previous patients, it can be helpful to actually speak to one or two of them. Ask them how they’d rate the surgeon’s bedside manner, experience, and follow-up care. It’s also a good idea to ask if they’d recommend working with the surgeon or not, and why.
Rate How You Feel with the Cosmetic Surgeon
An initial consultation gives you a chance to test drive a surgeon and see if working with him or her would be ideal. A plastic surgeon might be the most experienced and highly respected surgeon in his or her field. But, if you don’t feel comfortable with him or her or feel as if you’re being rushed or pressured into surgeries you’re not particularly interested in, it’s not a good match. Ask a lot of questions at your consultation and gauge the surgeon’s response to them. If you feel that anything’s not quite right or that anything is “off” about your experience, it’s in your best interest to keep on looking.
Consider the Cost
The exact cost of a plastic surgery procedure will vary depending on a lot of factors, from your location to the type of surgery you’re considering. When it comes to surgery, you don’t necessarily want the lowest price, nor do you want to pay more than what is fair or average. Knowing the typical price range for a particular procedure can help you see if the surgeon is giving you a fair deal or not. A price that seems too low can be a red flag, too. Along with getting a quote, ask the surgeon if any sort of financing is available to help you pay for the procedure.
Talk to the Expert at Vitenas Cosmetic Surgery Today
Dr. Vitenas has experience with a wide range of plastic surgery procedures for the face and body. Dr. Paul Vitenas has been featured on many of the major news networks, as well as popular beauty publications such as Allure, and Glamour, as a recognized expert on a variety of plastic surgery topics. Dr. Vitenas believes that educating and communicating with their patients are the keys to helping them achieve successful, natural-looking results. Book your appointment at Vitenas Cosmetic Surgery, located at 4208 Richmond Ave, Suite 200 by calling 281-484-0088.