The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) is currently running public service advertisements alerting potential plastic surgery patients that not all doctors performing plastic surgery are genuine plastic surgeons. The advertisements feature several patients who suffered complications, including the inability to close their eyes after cosmetic eyelid surgery and the development of a “uni-boob” (synmastia) after breast augmentation. These videos can be seen at www.plasticsurgery.org.
Finding Trustworthy Plastic Surgeons in Memphis
If you walk down New York City’s Fifth Avenue you will encounter men selling “Gucci” and “Louis Vuitton” handbags from tables on the sidewalks. Have those high-end stores lost their leases? Of course not! Anyone who buys those bags or Rolex watches from the sidewalk vendors knows they are not getting the genuine product. Unfortunately the Internet has made it difficult for people seeking plastic surgery to know if they are “shopping” at a genuine plastic surgery office or at a “sidewalk table”.
Carefully worded websites can mislead consumers into thinking their doctors are board certified plastic surgeons. Some websites state that their doctors are board certified, but try to hide the fact that their certifications come from the Family Practice, Obstetrics, or Emergency Medicine boards. Other sites mention “training in plastic surgery”, but do not disclose the fact that this consisted at most of a 1-4 week rotation during residency or a weekend course.
Most plastic surgeons delivered a handful of babies during our medical school obstetrics rotation, but no pregnant woman would ask a plastic surgeon to deliver her child. Only four states (Texas, California, Louisiana, and Florida) have regulations requiring transparency in disclosing actual training and certification.
Do Your Homework on Any Plastic Surgery Group
Do your homework. Ask if your plastic surgeon is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, all of whose members are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery or the Canadian equivalent. Search for your plastic surgeon on The American Board of Plastic Surgery website. Plastic surgeons who have recently finished their rigorous training may not have yet completed the certification process, as that takes about 18 months.
If your plastic surgeon plans to do your operation in an office operating room, ask if they have hospital privileges to perform the same operation in a hospital. Most hospitals are very careful before offering operating privileges requiring documentation of appropriate training.
Your Experienced Memphis Plastic Surgeons
Here at the Plastic Surgery Group of Memphis, we pride ourselves on offering premier cosmetic treatments, partnering with reputable cosmetic suppliers, and most importantly having well-qualified, highly experienced providers of plastic surgery. Many of our doctors are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, meaning they had at least three years of surgical training along with two to three years training specifically in the field of plastic surgery.
Additionally, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons requires members to receive 50 hours of continuing education yearly. A practice like ours is certainly a smart choice when you’re looking for someone to trust with your health and appearance.
If you have a plastic surgery consultation coming up or are considering scheduling one, feel free to ask the provider you meet with about his or her experience and credentials. You can trust that we’re here to give you the highest quality experience with plastic surgery.