Finding a Cosmetic Surgeon

As the risks involved decrease and the popularity of procedures increases, we find ourselves in the heyday of cosmetic surgery for the body. No longer are liposuction, body contouring, and tummy tucks restricted to the elite—they are now available to almost anyone who wants to tone and trim his or her body. Finding a cosmetic surgeon has proven to be one of the most difficult tasks involved in the process. With the number of surgeons out there touting their experience and certification, how do you choose?

Someone You Can Talk To

It’s not just about warm fuzzy feelings. Finding a plastic surgeon who makes you comfortable is a crucial part of achieving a body that you’re satisfied with. The process of changing and firming the shape of your body is a very subjective one, and every patient walks into the surgeon’s office with different expectations—sometimes even unrealistic ones. Your surgeon should be someone who is willing to sit down and discuss the possibilities of your new body, as well as the limitations: what shape is naturally better suited to you, how much fat or skin is safe and healthy to remove, what you’ll need to do to maintain your new body shape. During the pre-surgical period in which you and your surgeon map out the procedures that will be done on your body, your surgeon’s opinions will have a great influence on the ultimate outcome. So make sure that you feel right at home talking with him or her, and that your surgeon can offer you the support, flexibility, and medical expertise that you need.

Certification

The best way to get a guarantee of your plastic surgeon’s expertise is to look at the certification he or she has. In this case, it’s quality, not quantity, that matters. A certification for general surgery does not say anything about a surgeon’s ability to perform liposuction or abdominoplasty procedures; make sure that your surgeon is certified in the specific area that you have an interest in. Certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery is a good starting point to begin your search for a well-trained cosmetic surgeon, and after you’ve double-checked that your surgeon has this designation, start probing further.

Look at your surgeon’s history. Has he or she performed a good number of cosmetic surgeries on the body, and how recently were those procedures performed? Getting an idea of patient history will tell you something about your potential surgeon’s expertise, as well as how up-to-date he or she is on current techniques in the area.

Before and After

And finally, take a look at the before and after. Photographs of your surgeon’s previous patients speak strongly to his or her skills—no amount of talking about the results that can be achieved is as good an argument as evidence of the results that have been achieved. Ask for photographs if they haven’t already been provided, and see if there are results that you would like to see on yourself. There’s really no better way to get a measure of your cosmetic surgeon’s abilities!