With people so very tuned in to social media, there is a vast amount of information available for them to refer to when trying to decide if plastic surgery is the right choice for them. Even armed with so much information, many people don’t have a strategy for choosing the right surgeon or the right procedure.
If you’re thinking of cosmetic or plastic surgery, here are a few important questions to ask during the initial consultation with a doctor.
- Is the doctor is actually board certified in plastic surgery? In the U.S., any physician can perform cosmetic type procedures or surgery in their office without having training specifically in plastic surgery. Many doctors will state they are board-certified in cosmetic surgery. However, there is no actual government recognized residency in “cosmetic surgery”. Most likely, the doctor may have trained in family medicine or radiology or some other specialty. After a weekend course, he may claim to be a cosmetic surgeon. A plastic surgery residency is the only nationally recognized training that teaches the full array of cosmetic surgery that is safe to perform.
- Is the surgeon credentialed to perform the surgery in a nearby hospital? Even though the procedure may be done in the office if that surgeon is not credentialed to perform that same procedure in a hospital, that often reflects that he or she is not recognized by the hospital as someone who should be performing that procedure at all.
- How many procedures of the kind you are seeking has the surgeon has performed?
- Request to see actual patient photos of people the surgeon has operated on or performed procedures for. Do not settle for catalog photos that have been provided by outside marketing companies, as these are not reflective of the actual surgeon’s expertise. It is important to realize that good results have more to do with the surgeon’s technique than which technology was used.
- What type of complications has he or she has had, and how were they managed? It is an absolute reality that any surgeon who performs enough of a type of surgery will have experienced some complications. An experienced surgeon will be able to candidly discuss this. You should leave the consultation having a sense of confidence that the surgeon will be knowledgeable and compassionate enough to get you through any rough spots in your healing.
In the end, there is no such thing as too much information. I encourage you to read patient reviews and search the Internet. Then come prepared with these questions to your consultation.
When you’re ready to have the conversation
Advanced Cosmetic & Plastic Surgery offers the newest and most sophisticated cosmetic surgery procedures for men and women, including breast augmentation, neck, and facelifts, eyelid surgery, rhinoplasty (nose surgery), liposuction, abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), reduction or reconstruction, as well as Botox, Juvederm and other injectable fillers. All procedures are done by our board-certified plastic surgeons Dr. David Goldenberg, Dr. Sohel Islam, Dr. Prashant Soni, and Dr. Stacey June. ASC offices are located in the Fairfield County, CT towns of Danbury, New Milford, Norwalk, and Ridgefield.
– Prashant Soni M.D.