Cosmetic Surgery Safety Issues

Posted: Oct. 1, 2004

If you’re thinking about getting cosmetic surgery, it’s your job to become an informed consumer. Selecting a qualified doctor, with a lot of training and experience in the procedure you’d like to get, is essential.

Ask the right questions to get the best treatment:

• What state is the doctor licensed to practice surgery?
• Is the doctor board certified? With which board? The doctor should be certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
• What training did the surgeon have after medical school? Was it plastic surgery?
• How many surgeries of this type does the doctor perform each year?
• How many years has the doctor performed this type of surgery?
• What hospital can the doctor admit patients or work in? You’ll want to know in case of an emergency. You can also check with the hospital for the surgeon’s credentials.
• If the doctor operates in his or her office or ambulatory health care facility, is it accredited? Check with the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities or Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, Inc. to find out. It can mean a higher standard of care.
• Does the doctor have life-saving equipment and monitoring devices?
• Who administers the anesthesia? Ideally, this person is a board-certified anesthesiologist or certified registered nurse anesthetist.
• What are the risks of the procedure? How often do they happen? What does the doctor do if they happen?
• What is the expected recovery for the procedure you’re having?
• Check with the state medical board for complaints or malpractice suits against the doctor.

Check out your doctor’s credentials
If you’re thinking about having your surgery in the doctor’s office, there are advantages and disadvantages. The office might be convenient, private, and have more amenities than a hospital or ambulatory care center (non-emergency, outpatient facility). But it may not be safe.

Don’t simply assume that the doctor has the right credentials or the right equipment to keep you safe in the office.

In many states, any doctor with a valid medical license who’s in private practice can legally perform surgery. So some doctors are doing surgery outside of their specialty, like an eye doctor performing breast implant surgery.

Depending on the state, doctors in private practice don’t need to meet the same legal requirements as a hospital or accredited ambulatory care center for surgery or anesthesia services.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health

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