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How to Find the Right Surgeon for You

Choosing a qualified facial plastic surgeon is the key to ensuring that you end up with the cosmetic surgery results you want. After all, it is the surgeon who does the work and is capable of helping you achieve your goals.

However, selecting a skilled plastic surgeon to perform your procedure can be nerve-racking, time-consuming, and frustrating. In your research, you will encounter a seemingly endless sea of available surgeons, all proclaiming their expertise.

You will be advised to go only to a board-certified plastic surgeon, and while this is important, it is not the be all and end all of plastic surgery. Just being certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada does not guarantee a positive result. Many factors go into choosing a surgeon – including certification, educational background, experience, and personality – and all these factors must be carefully weighed before making a final selection.

Get to know what to look for, what credentials a surgeon has, and then verify those credentials.Keep in mind that seeing a few certifications on the doctor's office wall doesn't necessarily mean that he or she is the doctor for you. Certifications and associations do not guarantee that the cosmetic surgeon shares your aesthetic taste, or even that you two will get along. Use all of the information on this page and on our message board to better determine what you may need, what you are looking for, and just who is right for you.

Board Certification and What It Means

When you hear the words "board certified" in regard to plastic surgery, it usually means being certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) in the United States or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC). The American Board of Otolaryngology also certifies surgeons in plastic surgery of he head and neck. However, there are other boards that you may hear about in the aesthetic medicine community, such as the American Board of Dermatology (ABDerm) and the American Board of Surgery (ABS). The ABPS, ABDerm, ABS, and the ABOto are all recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), which is an umbrella organization of 24 medical specialty boards.

Some boards refer to physicians and surgeons who have passed their requirements as "diplomates." You may see this word on certificates and plaques on the office walls.

Board certification is a voluntary process and means that a physician or surgeon has completed medical school and his or her residency, is trained in their medical specialty, has practiced their medical specialty for the minimum number of years required, and has taken oral and written exams issued by the respective board. However, there are doctors who advertise themselves as “board certified” on their website and elsewhere but do not say in what specialty. Some may be misleading and may have a certification in a specialty unrelated to plastic surgery.

Similarly, just because a plastic surgeon is board certified does not mean he or she is sufficiently qualified to perform facial plastic surgery. While all qualified plastic surgeons in the United States will have been certified by ABPS, those designated as “facial plastic surgeons” have undergone secondary specialized training and are certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ABFPRS). Facial plastic surgeons may be board certified in plastic surgery or in otolaryngology. To qualify for ABFPRS certification, a surgeon must have completed years of training in otolaryngology and head and neck surgery, be already board certified in plastic surgery or otolaryngology, and passed tests required by the ABFPRS.

Otolaryngologists (also called ear, nose and throat or ENT doctors) are trained in the anatomy, physiology, and pathology of all the organs and structures of the head and neck. They perform the majority of elective facial plastic surgery procedures in the United States.

So someone can be board certified in plastic surgery, otolaryngology, dermatology, general surgery,or ophthalmology and be qualified to perform plastic surgery on the face.

Here are some of these organizations that deal with board certification, with links to their websites:

The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS)
The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) oversees and coordinates 24 approved medical specialty boards. Surgeons who perform facial plastic surgery will have certifications in plastic surgery or otolaryngology.

http://www.abms.org

The American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS)
Usually, when you hear the term, "board-certified plastic surgeon", it means certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) or, in Canada, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC). Doctors of osteopathy can be certified in plastic surgery through an osteopathic board of plastic surgery and also through the ABPS. (Osteopaths, or DOs, provide complete medical care, but have a different underlying philosophy from doctors of medicine, who are MDs.) Board certification in plastic surgery means that a surgeon has completed his or her residency in plastic surgery, has practiced it for a minimum number of years, and has passed oral and written exams issued by the board. The ABPS is the only ABMS Board that certifies in the full spectrum of the entire specialty of plastic surgery.

http://www.abplsurg.org

The American Board of Surgery (ABS)
The ABS certifies general surgeons, some of whom perform some types of plastic surgery. It is one of the 24 certifying boards that are members of the ABMS.

http://www.absurgery.org/

The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS)
The AAFPRS is a national medical specialty society of the American Medical Association (AMA). Its members are board-certified surgeons whose focus is surgery of the face, head, and neck. Members are board certified by a specialty board recognized by the ABMS, with a majority of them certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology. Others are certified in plastic surgery, ophthalmology, and dermatology. A growing number of members are board certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

http://www.aafprs.org/

The American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ABFPRS)
The ABFPRS certifies surgeons in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. It establishes standards of qualification for facial plastic and reconstructive surgeons. The ABFPRS is not a member of the ABMS, but a surgeon must be already certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery or the American Board of Otolaryngology, which are ABMS member boards, before applying for certification with the ABFPRS.

http://www.abfprs.org/

The American Board of Otolaryngology (ABOto)
The ABOto certifies physicians and surgeons who specialize in treating diseases and disorders of the ear, nose, and throat, which includes a subspecialty in surgery of the head and neck. It is a member of the ABMS.

http://www.aboto.org/

The American Board of Dermatology (ABDerm)

ABDerm establishes and maintains standards of training, education, and qualifications of physicians rendering care in dermatology. Dermatology deals with both diseases and conditions of the skin and cosmetic problems of the skin. This board is a member of ABMS.

http://www.abderm.org/

The American Board of Cosmetic Surgery (ABCS)
This is another certifying board for physicians and surgeons who specialize in aesthetic surgery. Although the ABCS is not recognized by the ABMS, an applicant must have certification in a medical specialty overseen by the ABMS.

http://www.americanboardcosmeticsurgery.org

Verifying Your Surgeon's Board Certification

So, now that you know what various board certifications mean, you have to start checking on them. To verify your surgeon’s board certification, first check with the ABMS. The ABMS oversees the ABPS, ABOto, the ABS and the ABDerm, and board certification with these boards is a prerequisite for certification by the ABFPRS and the ABCS. You can go to the ABMS website and verify if your surgeon is board certified. You can also do this over the phone by calling 1-866-ASK-ABMS (or 1-866-275-2267). Both of these options are provided to you at no charge.

Board Eligible: What Does It Mean?

Certification by the ABPS and many of the other boards takes years to complete. Some surgeons may use the phrase “board eligible” to imply that they meet the educational and training criteria to be eligible for examination and possible certification by a particular board, but still must finish the needed number of years in practice. Others may have chosen not to take the exam and become certified,but still call themselves eligible.

If a surgeon states that he or she is board eligible, ask why they are not certified. Ask about his or her residency and what continuing medical education courses (CME) in plastic and facial surgery he or she has taken. With these questions answered you will know if the surgeon has the medical training you want to see.

Professional Aesthetic Medicine Societies

There are several professional organizations of physicians and surgeons who practice plastic surgery and facial plastic surgery. Members of these societies are not required to practice cosmetic plastic surgery, nor do they mean that a surgeon has a skillful eye or is exactly the right surgeon for you.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS)

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) comprises 97% of all physicians certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS). In order to be a member of ASPS, plastic surgeons must be certified by the ABPS or in Canada by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

http://www.plasticsurgery.org

The American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS)

This is an organization, which only accepts cosmetic plastic surgeons certified by either the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

http://surgery.org

The American College of Surgeons (ACS)

The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational association of surgeons founded in 1913 to improve the quality of care in the field of surgery. Members are board certified in general surgery. You may see the initials FACS after a surgeon’s name. This means the surgeon is a fellow of the ACS, which means he or she is a member.

http://www.facs.org

The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (AACS) is dedicated to patient safety and physician education in cosmetic surgery. Members may be plastic surgeons, otolaryngologists, dermatologists, general surgeons, or maxillofacial surgeons.

http://www.cosmeticsurgery.org

State Medical Licensure

You would think that it would go without saying that any surgeon you see is licensed to practice medicine in your state, but it is still wise to check that your surgeon is in good standing with the state medical board. There are fly-by-night scam artists out there.

Don't confuse a state medical board with a medical specialty board; they are two different things. State licensure is a minimum standard necessary to practice medicine. Your surgeon must hold a valid medical license for the state in which he or she performs your procedure. These licenses may be a Medical Doctor (MD), which is an allopathic physician, or a Doctor of Osteopathy (DO), which is an osteopathic physician. Most facial plastic surgeons are medical doctors, but you may find one who is an osteopathic doctor.

(Remember that a physician's assistant (PA) or registered nurse (RN) may administer certain types of skin peels and give injections such as collagen and Botox while under a physician's supervision. Physicians assistants and nurses are also regulated by licensing boards on the state level. Some states also have licensing requirements for aestheticians, who can perform certain procedures like skin peels and microdermabrasion. Some states do not.)

To verify a doctor's license, we have a list of the state medical boards with links. Most have an easy-to-use on-line system for checking out a doctor's license and any history of regulatory actions.You can also go to the Federation of State Medical Boards. This group has a directory of all the state boards that oversee medical and osteopathic medicine. Go to http://www.fsmb.org/index.htm.

Continued Medical Education (CME)

At one time, a doctor could graduate from medical school and never look at a medical textbook again. Medicine moves and changes too much for that now. Most states require that a physician take Continuing Medical Education (CME) courses for a minimum amount of hours before allowing him or her to renew their license. Check with your individual state's medical or osteopathic board for more information.

Professional societies and medical specialty boards also require a number of CME hours to maintain their membership. For example, the American Board of Plastic Surgery requires at least 150 hours of CME during the 3 years preceding the recertification application to be considered for recertification.

Collecting the Names of Good Surgeons

Now that you know what to look for, what is next? This part of the process can be very confusing and frustrating. With the popularity of plastic surgery and rise in cosmetic surgery today, physicians everywhere are advertising their services. The Internet is full of plastic surgery information sites designed simply to get your business and not educate or support you during this very important journey. So where do you start?

Patient-to-patient referral is one of the best ways to find an excellent plastic surgeon. While you're here, check out our Facial Plastic Surgery Message Boards and speak with real patients about their experiences. The forum is an invaluable tool to gain support and friends to help you through your journey. You can usually find several patients who are willing to share the names of their surgeons. It’s likely you'll be able to see their before-and-after photos and read their journals. Some patients would rather email their personal information in private, so you should have an email address you wouldn't mind posting publicly.

You can also visit our own Facial Plastic Surgery Referral section for a listing of some of the best surgeons in your general area. All of our surgeons are board certified in plastic surgery.

If you have a friend or relative who works in the medical field, and if you feel comfortable discussing the matter with them, ask if they know who is the best for what you want. Ask your general practitioner or your gynecologist, too. They usually know of a good facial plastic surgeon that you may want to check out. Even ask around your gym or salon, if you feel comfortable enough. People talk to their hair stylists about everything and many gush about their cosmetic surgeons. Beauticians also see the befores-and-afters and know who is doing quality work.

Magazines and Television: Be Cautious

There are an awful lot of articles in magazines and television shows about plastic surgery. Many of the TV shows feature real doctors. But being on TV or having been interviewed in magazines does not mean that a surgeon is a great one. There have been many surgeons that I would not recommend who have appeared in documentaries, television shows, infomercials, beauty magazines, and such. Sometimes this kind of publicity just means that the doctor has a good publicist. Some plastic surgeons are coasting on their reputation and others may be very good, but be far too busy with TV appearances to give you the time you need. Use the media for information, but do not let them make your decision for you.

Communication Is Key

Good communication is the key to having a good doctor-patient relationship. If you cannot communicate what you want to your surgeon, how can you expect him or her to know what your expectations are? Be sure that he or she is open to your desires and wishes, and realistic about the possible outcome.

However, listen to the feedback that you get from the surgeon. There may be times when a surgeon tells you that something should not be done. You can and should get a second opinion, but if more than one surgeon says that what you want is not advisable, listen. It’s your body, but your surgeon is the one who will be operating, so listen to what he or she has to say about what can realistically be achieved.

Also understand that you cannot bring in a photo of someone else’s body parts and say, "Make me look like this." As a rule, a surgeon can only improve what you already have. However, you should bring photos of what you like and don't like to help give an idea of what you want. You should expect improvement, not miracles, and you should definitely expect proper care, treatment and empathy. Remember that you are the paying customer. You are essentially finding the best surgeon for a very important job: assuring your health and well-being.