« Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty)–the surgery and recovery | Main | Remember when a round tummy was cute? »
Credentials–Board Certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery
By admin | September 30, 2008
Credentials–Board Certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery
Patients come for my expertise regarding less than satisfactory results they received elsewhere. Unfortunately, virtually any licensed doctor can perform plastic/cosmetic surgery legally, regardless of training. Most are shocked to learn that non-plastic surgery physicians (family practice, dermatologists, emergency room, OB/GYN, oral surgeons, Ear/Nose/Throat) will take weekend courses and then begin performing complicated body contouring procedures in their office. These are procedures that such non-plastic surgeons cannot perform in hospitals because the peer review process denies them the privileges to perform these operations without proper training. They are not barred from performing same in their own offices–where there is no outside monitoring.
The first step in obtaining a good result with your plastic surgeon is to choose a plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. If so certified, they will also belong to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons whose logo is the easily recognized double opposing crescents. After board certification is obtained, an additional prestigious organization which again insists upon further evaluation of ethics and practice patterns is The American Society for Aesthetic Surgery.
Regularly unsuspecting patients think they are being cared for by a “board certified cosmetic surgeon”. The presentation is misleading at best. Some cosmetic surgeons proudly advertize they are “board certified” but leave it purposely vague. That board certification may be in dentistry, oral surgery, gynecology, etc. Boards such as the “American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery” are not recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialists (ABMS). The ABMS is mainstream medicine’s umbrella group that recognizes those boards which follow the traditional path of training in a specialty. The ABMS recognized the American Board of Plastic Surgery as the specialty trained in plastic surgery of the entire body.
To be certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, a physician must first graduate from medical school and then spends 5-7 years training in Plastic Surgery. Letters of recommendation must be submitted from his training surgeons. He must then pass a written exam and practice in the same community for two years. At this time, he submits all of the cases he has performed for review by the Board. The cases are reviewed for appropriateness, quality of results, complications, and standard of care. Letters of recommendation from other plastic surgeons in his community must be submitted attesting to the ethics and quality of care of the applicant. If accepted, he may then take the oral examination. If he passes, he is then certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgeon. Please visit our website for more information.
Robert D. Wilcox, MD
Topics: Credentials, Home |
Comments are closed.