How to find a good plastic surgeon?
How to find a good plastic surgeon is probably a question of all peers who plan on undergoing some sort of plastic surgery for the first time.
Even though plastic surgery has never been more popular, good plastic surgeons can not be found on every corner, unfortunately. The quest for a good plastic surgeon is something you should take very seriously, with an established criteria that is going to help you make the right decision.
In order to help you in terms of where and how to find a plastic surgeon, in this blog post we offer you a list of criteria you should follow in order to find a qualified surgical candidate.
What makes a good surgeon?
When trying to find the best plastic surgeons, the first thing you should pay attention to are their credentials and their expertise. Not every plastic surgeon is an expert in every procedure, in fact, some of them can have little to no experience when it comes to certain procedures.
Bare in mind that you are about to entrust somebody your safety and your appearance, so you might as well know what kind of qualifications your surgeon must posses, and where to start looking.
So, how do you find a good plastic surgeon?
Your surgeon of choice must be board certified
We can’t say this enough – an ASPS certification is a must and your physician must be board certified plastic surgeon just like ours is. Instead of online searching through “best plastic surgeons near me”, you should first try searching for physicians through accredited governing bodies. This is the best method if you were wondering how to find a board certified plastic surgeon.
In U.S.A. you’ll want a surgeon whose qualifications are recognized by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, the only board accepted by the American Board of Medical Specialties.
The best plastic surgeons have proven results
All the good plastic surgeons who care about their good name have prospects who show their real-life results, which is why it is always a good idea to ask your potential surgeon to show you the before and after photos of their work.
They hold up to strict safety standards
A qualified plastic surgeon will always meet strict safety standards when it comes to their patients. The very certification of a surgeon by ASPS indicates that the surgeon has met proper and high level of medical education, respecting patient’s safety at all times, which is why this certificate is the very first to look for when choosing a surgeon.
They work in accredited or state-licensed surgical facilities
By finding a surgeon that works in a state-licensed or accredited facility such as LIV Plastic Surgery, you ensure that they meet the highest standards of safety and hygiene, since these kinds of facilities need to be maintained in a way that is unprecedented.
They offer tailored treatments
When you meet with your physician, you want to honestly and openly discuss your future procedure, and you want them to be able to tailor a unique treatment plan that is going to benefit you the most.
A good surgeon has to be able to provide you with a customized treatment plan, otherwise you can not be sure whether your aesthetic goals will be met or not.
Do your homework – read online reviews
Hearing about the experiences of the former patients is of the utmost importance, being that this you way you get to have a deeper understanding not only about the procedure, but also of the other patients’ experience – what they liked or didn’t like in terms of surgeon’s approach or care.
All credible and qualified surgeons should have consistent good reviews and high ratings from their prior patients. It is one of the most certain ways to confirm confidence in your future surgeon. The bottom line is – if you are already searching online “best plastic surgeons near me”, you might as well rely on their ratings.
Ask your friends & family for recommendations
Apart from looking at the online reviews and ratings, and seeing the before and after pictures of surgical procedures, you might as well ask for the opinion of the people who you consider the closest.
For instance, maybe somebody in your family or friend circle has recently undergone a breast augmentation surgery, mommy makeover or a liposuction and can tell you all about the procedure and their own impressions of the surgeon.
This way you can get an honest opinion of what they liked or didn’t like about the whole process, and more importantly, get a recommendation that will be completely straightforward. Even better, you get to see the results in personal and decide if that’s something you would consider for yourself.
This also might be your best option if you were constantly asking “how to find a plastic surgeon near me” or “how to find the best plastic surgeon in my area”. By asking for an honest recommendation or opinion of your friends and family who have already when through the entire ordeal.
Qualifications a good surgeon should have
When wondering how to find the best plastic surgeon, you probably guessed that you ought to check their qualifications and if they have any.
But what are they?
Well, here is a mini checklist you should pay attention to when starting your quest.
1. Years of education and training
Plastic surgery demands years of medical training and practice in order to be mastered. Knowlegde and training allow surgeons to perform complicated procedures without endangering the health and life of their patients.
The best surgeons have attended and graduated from top-notch schools, earned doctorates in medicine, earned plastic surgery residency and most importantly, got certified by ASPS.
2. Professional experience measured in years
When asking yourself how to find the right plastic surgeon, you probably came across the experience parameter as a must. It goes without saying that checking if the experience of your surgeon can be measured in years is a must.
Those who who have years of experience under their belt are better equipped to overcome complex challenges during a procedure, and identify ideal solutions.
3. An ongoing education
Constant learning is a must in this profession, having in mind that medical science as a whole is persistently going forward. There is always some new advancement that physicians should learn more bout, whether it is body contouring or laser skin resurfacing related.
If the surgeon is in regular attendance of industry seminars or conferences, and regularly updating their technique and equipment, than you know that it’s kind of an expert that can provide you with the best possible care.
4. Professional integrity
Honesty and integrity are some of the definitive features you should look for in a surgeon, aside from his overall competence, bedside manner and post operational support.
A great and competent surgeon will recommend a procedure only if they believe you are a good candidate and they know they can deliver the best possible result. They are not supposed to adhere if you have unrealistic expectations or a motivation that will potentially endanger your health.
5. Great communication skills
Good communication is crucial between a patient and a surgeon, because you need to be able to discuss your goals openly, without hesitation.
It is very important to find a surgeon you feel comfortable with when talking about your aesthetical goals, but also a surgeon that will candidly answer all the additional questions you might have and carefully explain you the steps of the chosen procedure.
This way you’ll be sure to recognize a professional that is ready to invest into your wellbeing.
Aside from these, your physician should also possess a special blend of skills such as:
- Practicals skills – good hand-eye coordination and visuo-spatial awareness
- Superb vision
- Great organizational skills
- Ability to lead and coordinate the entire team of people
- Stamina
- Ability to inspire and motivate the members of staff
Schedule a consultation
Ok, qualifications are a one thing, but you were probably wondering how do I find a good plastic surgeon I can easily interact with?
At first you might think that it’s not entirely necessary to connect with your surgeon on a personal level, but sometimes it’s precisely something that makes an entire difference.
When you made a decision of what kind of surgery you want to proceed with, the next step is to schedule a consultation with a surgeon of choice. This is not only a necessary step for you to find out more about your chosen procedure, but also to get to know your surgeon and find out how he is in person.
Go to your consultations armed with questions, and ask the surgeon everything you want to know – from the facility the procedure is performed in, potential risks, steps in case of an emergency, recovery process, everything.
You surgeon should be personable and easy to interact with, but most of all, concerned about your feelings and overall wellness, which will ultimately have a tremendous impact on your entire experience.
Mind the doctors manners as well as office cleanliness
When you’re asking yourself how to find a plastic surgeon you can trust, you’re definitely not asking a wrong question. In fact, the way you get along with your surgeon is more important than you might think at first.
The manners and the behaviour of your doctor matter a lot, but so does the appearance of his office, so you definitely shouldn’t take it for granted. Always keep in mind that you want to a physician who is both polite and skilful with the knife, but there also some other important parameters you should be mindful of.
Choose a surgeon whose aesthetic sense appeals to you
No one is immune to having a subjective opinion, and neither are plastic surgeons. Even though their job is to make your wishes come true in terms of your own appearance, sometimes can happen that yours and his opinion on what’s beautiful, simply don’t match.
This is why before you schedule a consultation, you must take a look at his results and see for yourself if that’s something that appeals to you.
Aside from looking at photos, also check out who the previous patients were and whether or not they have the similar qualities to yours.
- Breast procedures – look for those who have a similar torso or breast shape like yourself. The greater the similarity, the better the chance to predict how your surgeon will tailor the procedure and what kind of results you might expect.
- Body procedures – look for parameters such as height, weight and propensities those body types might have that are similar to yours. Also, be open to related body procedures when it comes to treating your problem. There might be a better solution that you don’t know about.
- Facial procedures – look for those patients who have similar facial features or are of the similar age, cause they are probably battling the same concerns as yours.
This is important because cosmetic and plastic procedures demand not just skill, but also a level of artistry. There are all kinds of nuances, and most of the time if you happen to visit three different surgeons, you will get three different plans how the surgery will go down.
Surgical opinions are mainly based on their expertise, experience and interpretation of the look you want to achieve, and that is why it is important to choose a surgeon whose opinion will align with yours the most.
Pay attention to how the staff make you feel
When you make a serious decision like this, you want to feel 100% comfortable when you undergo your procedure, which is why it’s important how you feel around the surgeon, as well as his staff.
Ask yourself do you feel comfortable asking the surgeon and his staff anything that comes to mind concerning the steps of your procedure and your safety, but also, do you feel comfortable disclosing your full medical history, previous procedures you might have had, and your habits.
Trust your intuition and don’t rush into surgery
The most important thing when finalizing all of these steps and doing your homework and research concerning your potential surgeon, is that you feel happy with the choice you made, and most importantly – that you feel heard and understood by both the surgeon and his staff.
If you’re at ease and confident with your decision, your experience will be the same – easy and less stressful, while the outcome will be even better than you expected it to be.
