Choosing a Plastic Surgeon in Philadelphia

Every patient considering plastic surgery wants their results to be the very best possible. In addition, they seek to avoid any preventable complications. How then should you choose a plastic surgeon?

The simplest thing is to check your plastic surgeon's training and credentials. We feel that plastic surgery should be performed by a board certified plastic surgeon. It is really that simple. If you are not sure, consider the following: Would you go to a plastic surgeon to have your tonsils removed? If not, then why would you go to a surgeon of another specialty to have a breast augmentation? The best way to verify that your physician is board certified is to ask to see their certificate by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, membership in the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery demonstrate our competence. Our physicians have received repeated public recognition as United States and Philadelphia Magazine top doctors as well as inclusion in Castle Connolly's National Top Doctors Surveys. In addition, our involvement at both Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Albert Einstein Medical Center in the training of young plastic surgeons provides us with a great sense of professional gratification.

Next you must ascertain whether the medical community feels your doctor is capable of performing the procedures in which you are interested. This is necessary because in many states, including Pennsylvania, it is legal for any doctor to perform any procedure they so choose. This may be hard to believe but legally we can perform brain surgery even though we have no training or experience in performing brain surgery. Likewise, any doctor can call him or herself a cosmetic surgeon and perform any procedure he or she wishes to perform. Fortunately, there is an easy approach to this problem. Quite simply, your doctor should be able to perform procedures based on their training, education and experience. All hospitals are required every two years to certify a doctor's competence to perform procedures based on the doctor's training, education and experience. Therefore, if your plastic surgeon does not have privileges to perform plastic surgery in a hospital, you have substantial reason to question whether he or she is as competent as they should be.

A final assessment of your plastic surgeon should concern what type of practice he or she has. Where and how your doctor performs surgery matters. Our philosophy is that because plastic surgery is elective, it should be as safe as possible. Our approach to safety is uncompromising. As a result, all of our surgeries are performed in a hospital setting. Though seldom needed, this gives patients the additional availability of both emergency medical equipment as well as the assistance of physicians of other specialties to aid with any unforeseen problems that may arise during or after surgery. Furthermore, this allows patients the opportunity to spend the night following their surgery whenever they choose.

You should inquire about the type of anesthesia you will receive during your surgery. The gold standard is to have anesthesia administered by a board certified anesthesiologist - that is a doctor specializing in anesthesia. If you had your knee operated on, your gallbladder removed or a hernia repaired, you would probably be put to sleep by an anesthesiologist. There is really no reason to settle for less simply because your surgery is elective and cosmetic. If you do have a nurse anesthetist, she would not be a doctor but a nurse specializing in anesthesia. While nurse anesthetists can be very experienced, they have less training than an anesthesiologist does. Overall, you should be as prudent as you would be in any other major life decision. You should try not to be overly impressed by flashy brochures, fancy advertising or a plastic surgeon who seems to minimize potential risks and complications. Instead, we suggest that you find a plastic surgeon that is objectively competent, trustworthy and serious about the responsibility of providing plastic surgical care for you.