If you’re thinking about having cosmetic surgery, perhaps the most important decision you’ll make is whose hands you trust your body to. The level of skill, experience and expertise on the part of your surgeon can make a tremendous difference in the quality of – and your satisfaction with – the results of your procedure or procedures. But with many different cosmetic surgeons to choose from, all claiming to be specialists in the various procedures you’re interested in, how do you know who to choose to perform your surgery? Here are a few ideas to help you when researching for a great cosmetic surgeon:
Background, Education and Experience
First, you should research the background of the cosmetic surgeon. How many years have they been in practice? Do they have pictures of their office, operating room, and staff? Where did they receive their education, and what was their focus? How many years have they been performing the specific procedure you are interested in? Do they have any malpractice lawsuits that have been filed against them, or grievances with any medical boards? Conversely, do they have any endorsements from, or memberships with, any specialty boards, which may reinforce their credibility? This background research can help you quickly eliminate some surgeons right from the beginning – for example, if they haven’t been in practice long, don’t have many years of experience performing your desired procedure, or their office photos simply don’t make you comfortable or earn your trust.
Reviews and Patient Feedback
Feedback from previous patients is one of the best gauges in determining your potential satisfaction with a cosmetic surgeon. If there are countless patients raving about their experience and results with a particular surgeon, there is a fairly good chance you will have a similar experience with them. If people have a bad experience, they are very likely to complain, as they feel wronged and compelled to take action. However, people are generally less inclined to go out of their way simply to say something nice about someone, which can be very reassuring if many people have written very positive things. Be sure to read the reviews thoroughly and take note of anything negative, especially if there are multiple complaints or negative reviews. It’s unrealistic to expect someone to be perfect, as they are still a human being, but they should take care of their patients and always make things right, to the best of their ability. A surgeon’s attentiveness to their patients satisfaction and needs can be a very important indicator of your potential satisfaction with them.
Before and After Photos
Beyond just reading reviews from past patients, a picture is worth a thousand words, so you should look for some before and after photos of real patients who have previously received the procedure you wish to have performed. This will give you the opportunity to see real life case examples of people who have received the very same procedure from the surgeon you are considering, and how their surgery results turned out. A great cosmetic surgeon will be proud of his or her work and want to showcase it, so look for a cosmetic surgery before and after photo gallery on their website, or contact their office and ask if you can stop in to look at hard copies or an album. Choose a surgeon whose work impresses you and has numerous impressive examples of before and after results with real patients of theirs, and be wary of any who are unable to provide such examples.
Hopefully this gives you a good starting point for narrowing down plastic surgeons to perform your procedure. However, this is not all there is to it. You should schedule consultations, ask a lot of questions, and be sure to do your due diligence in selecting a cosmetic surgeon you trust, and don’t move forward until you are fully comfortable and confident with your choice. By doing so, you will greatly increase your chances of having a wonderful and positive experience with your cosmetic surgery procedure.
Background, Education and Experience
First, you should research the background of the cosmetic surgeon. How many years have they been in practice? Do they have pictures of their office, operating room, and staff? Where did they receive their education, and what was their focus? How many years have they been performing the specific procedure you are interested in? Do they have any malpractice lawsuits that have been filed against them, or grievances with any medical boards? Conversely, do they have any endorsements from, or memberships with, any specialty boards, which may reinforce their credibility? This background research can help you quickly eliminate some surgeons right from the beginning – for example, if they haven’t been in practice long, don’t have many years of experience performing your desired procedure, or their office photos simply don’t make you comfortable or earn your trust.
Reviews and Patient Feedback
Feedback from previous patients is one of the best gauges in determining your potential satisfaction with a cosmetic surgeon. If there are countless patients raving about their experience and results with a particular surgeon, there is a fairly good chance you will have a similar experience with them. If people have a bad experience, they are very likely to complain, as they feel wronged and compelled to take action. However, people are generally less inclined to go out of their way simply to say something nice about someone, which can be very reassuring if many people have written very positive things. Be sure to read the reviews thoroughly and take note of anything negative, especially if there are multiple complaints or negative reviews. It’s unrealistic to expect someone to be perfect, as they are still a human being, but they should take care of their patients and always make things right, to the best of their ability. A surgeon’s attentiveness to their patients satisfaction and needs can be a very important indicator of your potential satisfaction with them.
Before and After Photos
Beyond just reading reviews from past patients, a picture is worth a thousand words, so you should look for some before and after photos of real patients who have previously received the procedure you wish to have performed. This will give you the opportunity to see real life case examples of people who have received the very same procedure from the surgeon you are considering, and how their surgery results turned out. A great cosmetic surgeon will be proud of his or her work and want to showcase it, so look for a cosmetic surgery before and after photo gallery on their website, or contact their office and ask if you can stop in to look at hard copies or an album. Choose a surgeon whose work impresses you and has numerous impressive examples of before and after results with real patients of theirs, and be wary of any who are unable to provide such examples.
Hopefully this gives you a good starting point for narrowing down plastic surgeons to perform your procedure. However, this is not all there is to it. You should schedule consultations, ask a lot of questions, and be sure to do your due diligence in selecting a cosmetic surgeon you trust, and don’t move forward until you are fully comfortable and confident with your choice. By doing so, you will greatly increase your chances of having a wonderful and positive experience with your cosmetic surgery procedure.