How Important is it Really That Your Plastic Surgeon is Board Certified?

What You Need To Know About Board Certification

When you start looking for information on Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery, one of the first things you will learn is that you should make sure your Plastic Surgeon is Board Certified.

This is repeated over and over again, in so many publications both online and offline, that it is easy to fail to consider what the Board Certification actually means.

So, what is Board Certification, and what does it mean to you as a potential patient?

Well, a Plastic Surgeon can become Board Certified only after passing a written test.

This is critical to understand, if you want to find the best surgeon to enhance your looks. The Certification, in itself, does not prove anything about the competence of your plastic surgeon. It does not prove that he is an expert at any, let alone all, cosmetic procedures.

The fact that a plastic surgeon is Board Certified does not provide any evidence of their manual dexterity. Nor does it mean that your surgeon has the kind of artistic talents that you would hope for. It doesn't provide any kind of an idea of how experienced that surgeon may be.

Board Certification, by itself, also does not mean that your surgeon will care about giving you good care as a patient.

The fact that a Plastic Surgeon is Board Certified means that the surgeon was competent to pass a written test. Maybe there is an argument that it means that the plastic surgeon could be bothered to take the test, but we should not infer much more from it than that.

Are we saying that Board Certification means nothing?

Far from it, but what we are saying is that there are far more important considerations when selecting the right surgeon for you:

• How often has your plastic surgeon performed the procedure you are considering? Your surgeon should have performed your specific procedure scores of times. Only after this level of experience will it be likely that he will be able to make the best decisions. While everyone has to start somewhere, most people do not want to be one of a surgeon's early attempts!
• Have you seen photographs of his previous patients? If you have not, ask to! You are fully-entitled to see proof of your surgeon's abilities. A good plastic surgeon will be proud of his successes, and only to happy to show them to you. A surgeon who is not able to show you any pictures is very much one you should steer clear of.
• How is your plastic surgeon's general manner during your initial enquiries? Does he seem understanding, concerned, and keen to explain everything to you? If not, or worse, he seems pushy or dismissive, this is probably not a surgeon you want to be operating on you.
• Does your plastic surgeon understand if you wish to seek a second opinion? Remember, you are the customer, and you are employing the surgeon to provide a service. Just as in any profession, plastic surgery has some excellent practitioners, and some who should not be allowed to practice at all. Unfortunately, Board Certification is no guarantee, either way.

If your Plastic Surgeon fails in any of these areas, regardless of any Board Certification, you should seek your surgery elsewhere.