Posted: February 2, 2012
Selecting the right doctor for your cosmetic surgery procedure is often more complicated than it seems. Unless you have some form of ‘insider’ information, you will be left sorting through dozens of websites, television ads, and radio ads, as well as the suggestions of friends – some of whom have done very little research themselves.
In this day and age, it is more important than ever to thoroughly research the procedure you are interested in, and the physicians who provide it in your area. When selecting a plastic surgery practitioner, we recommend following a few basic rules:
- Confirm that the plastic surgeon is licensed and has (at the very least) completed formal training in the field of Plastic Surgery. Beyond this, you should confirm that your surgeon is board-certified in plastic surgery. This indicates that your surgeon has been rigorously tested for clinical competence and in-depth knowledge of his field.
- If the doctor has a website, examine the before and after photos to get an idea of what his work is like. A surgeon’s website is a great way to get a feel for the doctor and staff before you even have a formal consultation. Dr. Jon Harrell tries to provide as much educational material as possible on his website to help potential patients learn all they can about the procedure(s) they are interested in before they even call the office.
- During a consultation, make sure your surgeon understand your concerns, spends time to listen to you, and presents an easy-to-understand treatment plan. If you feel uncomfortable in any way, you should definitely seek another consultation to compare assessments, recommendations, and physician ‘bedside manner’.
There are a number of red flags you should be aware of when choosing a practitioner. If you’ve followed our advice above, then the following information will probably not be necessary. However, it still astounds me how many otherwise intelligent people end up getting themselves into trouble because they chose the wrong practitioner.
First, anytime the treatment is being performed in a hotel room, a friend’s house, or anywhere other than a physician’s office, the alarms should be going off. Occasionally reputable physicians may work in these locations, but not often. Make double sure you know the credentials of the practitioner. Scam artists and unlicensed or unqualified practitioners frequently work in these types of locations.
Secondly, make sure you know which medical board has certified the physician. Some non-plastic surgeons will advertise themselves as ‘board certified’ but will not specify which board certified them. For all you know, they could be a pathologist or E.R. doctor. Plastic surgeons will make it clear which board they are certified by.
Do not shop solely by price. It is much wiser to save for a longer time to afford the surgeon you really want rather than to go to the discounted practitioner. You will most likely save yourself much heartache and revision work to correct the mistakes made by a surgeon who is undertrained, under experienced, and working too quickly.
If you are looking for the right plastic surgeon, we invite you to contact us today to schedule a personal consultation with Dr. Jon Harrell at the Weston Center for Aesthetic Medicine and Surgery. We proudly serve the Weston, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Plantation, and Davie areas of Florida.