Guidelines
How to make informed choices when planning elective cosmetic surgery
When planning a major surgical procedure such as cosmetic or reconstructive surgery, it is important to follow a few general guidelines to make sure that you are making the most informed decisions. Tulip BioMed offers the following suggestions and frequently asked questions to help you choose the best physician for you and assess the surgical procedure you may choose to undertake.
Recommendations
Ask for referrals.
The best place to start looking is with your friends and others you know who may have already undergone a similar procedure to the one you are considering. Remember everyone has different expectations. Ask for word-of-mouth referrals from your friends, a trusted family physician or a respected hospital in the community.
Ask if the surgeon is board-certified and what his/her specialized training is.
To narrow down your list, look for a surgeon who is board-certified by boards affiliated with the American Board of Medical Specialists, such as the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, the American Board of Plastic Surgery, the American Board of Otolaryngology (Head and Neck Surgery) or others. Many board-certified surgeons also have undertaken additional years of training in particular specializations. Check to see which ones the physicians you are interviewing have taken and verify his or her credentials with those Boards or the County Medical Society. You may also inquire with State Board of Medical Examiners as to any lawsuits or legal actions taken against the physician for such actions as unethical behavior or malpractice. Inquire as to how many procedures of the type you are considering have been done weekly, monthly or each year. Remember the more procedures a physician does the better at it he is and the better the outcome is likely to be. Practice does make perfect in this case. Will the surgeon have any residents or fellows assisting him/her? You may not find or want to be the perfect teaching case.
Ask about the doctor’s hospital privileges.
Some surgical procedures can be safely performed in the doctor’s office or another surgical facility. However, most accredited hospitals have review committees that evaluate a surgeon’s training and competency for specific procedures before granting hospital operating privileges. This would provide another measure of assurance.The physician should be in good standing with the medical staff at the hospital with privileges to perform the surgery contemplated. Keep in mind if you have some underlying medical problems, such as cardiac or respiratory disease, it may be safer to perform the surgery in the hospital compared to the outpatient setting.
Interview or consult with your short list.
Once you have received recommendations and narrowed your choices down to a short list, be sure to interview the various physicians or their office staff to make sure you will be comfortable with that group. Be prepared with questions and write down the answers you are given so you will have a basis of comparison afterwards.
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