Regardless of the type of plastic surgery you are considering, one of the most important factors in its success is the surgeon you choose. In seeking a well-trained, qualified, experienced plastic surgeon, the following factors may assist in making an informed choice.
1) Gathering Names
Your first goal is to develop a list of good candidates. Where might you find them? Physicians, nurses, hospitals, friends, ASPRS, special directories. Some advertisements may give you a good feel but be sure they sound realistic. Internet evaluations may help but one happy patient or one disgruntled patient may not be a true evaluation of the surgeon. So be discriminating on what you read on the internet.
2) Checking Credentials
While good credentials can’t guarantee a successful outcome, they can significantly increase the odds.
Board Certification
Board certifications are very important. It says that someone has had specific training and has passed an exam testing his or her knowledge. It is extremely important to know that there are boards but only a few boards are approved and supervised by the American Board of Medical Specialties. (ABMS) All other boards are not supervised and may not mean any thing except someone has subscribed to that board or paid to get the certificate. The American Board of PLASTIC Surgery is the only plastic board approved by the ABMS.
Memberships
Check for membership in the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPRS).
Hospital Affiliations
Check the surgeon’s hospital affiliations. It is important to know that in the office a surgeon can perform any operation that the patient allows him or her to do. In a hospital the surgeon must be approved for specific procedure and must show his or her training in that procedure.
Experience
Experience may be one of the most important factors. The patient can ask about the frequency that the surgeon performs a particular procedure. How long have they been doing the procedure? Have they published about this area? Publications in peer reviewed journals tend to mean that the surgeon has done further research in that area or may even be an expert in that area.
Dr. Yousif has over 100 peer reviewed publications in various areas of plastic surgery.
3) Final Step: The Consultation / Interview
Talk candidly with the surgeon(s). Ask questions, tell your surgeon your exact concerns and areas that are most important for them to address. The surgeon should be frank about expected results. If they are not or if they tell you every one of their results is perfect then they are not being honest or they have not done very many facelifts.
Your first consultation is a chance for you to evaluate your potential for an overall good result, the reasonable outcomes for your areas of concern, and maybe most of all, the surgeon. Are they listening to your issues, are they providing an objective discussion about the issues and giving you alternatives that might help? Or does it feel like they are simply trying to get you to have surgery? Remember, besides choosing the right surgery you are also choosing the right surgeon. It should feel that they are your physician, offering the best options, not a salesman ready to cure everything with one magic pill. Remember, there is no short cut to good surgery. There is no secret procedure that only one surgeon knows about. And put your goals into the proposed procedures. If your most important goal is a short recovery time then that is fine as long as you know that the results may not last as long. If you want dramatic longer-lasting changes, then a 1.5-hour procedure may not be for you.
Evaluate their personalities, their opinions on the type of surgery you should have, their fees, and the way they answer your questions and explain the risks involved. Any surgeon who does not explain in detail the procedure and the risks may not be someone to continue with. That person should sound like he or she is interested in your care and not simply getting you to sign up for a procedure. Remember that you are beginning a relationship with the surgeon and that office. It is important to be sure you are comfortable with that relationship.
4) Making Your Choice
If you’ve obtained your surgeon’s name from a good source, checked his or her credentials, are satisfied with your initial consultation, and have realistic expectations for the surgery, chances are very good that you’ll be pleased with the outcome of your plastic surgery. Click here to contact Dr. Yousif and schedule your one on one consultation at SIÈR Medi-Spa.