Choosing a Plastic Surgeon
In the United states anyone with a medical degree is licensed by law to perform cosmetic surgery. Many venues provide cosmetic surgery performed by doctors with none or inadequate plastic surgery training to operate on patients. The level of skill and experience offered varies widely. It is imperative to inform yourself about plastic surgery, about the particular procedure you are considering, and then to find a top quality, fully trained and experienced plastic surgeon. Accessible sources include your own doctor, the articles on this web site the American Society of Plastic Surgery and the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Additionally, you can check and get up to date information about your doctor at the appropriate state licensing agency and medical society.
Experienced and successful surgeons will be happy to provide information regarding the professional organizations to which they belong. If certified by the ABPS, the doctor has graduated from an accredited medical school and completed at least five years of additional residency - at least three years of general surgery (or its equivalent) and two or three years of plastic surgery. He must also have passed comprehensive written and oral exams. Simply call the American Society of Plastic Surgeons' Plastic Surgery Information Service (800-635-0635) to check on any ABPS surgeon. Alternatively visit the ASPS web site at www.plasticsurgery.org. You should also check that your surgeon has been granted 'privileges' to operate at an accredited hospital as an attending surgeon.
Ask the surgeon what his or her experience is with the procedure you have in mind. Ask to see the surgeon's CV. It should show that he is experienced in a wide range of procedures, rather than being an expert in just one, particularly if it is the latest fad. The more experienced the surgeon, the safer you are in his hands. You need to feel confident he will do his utmost to prevent any complications and that he would be competent to handle any unexpected occurrences that may come up during surgery.
Plastic surgery, like all of clinical medicine, is an evolving and improving discipline. Your research has told you what some of the latest significant developments are. Check that the surgeon you are considering is up to speed.
A short phone conversation or e-mail communication with the office is free but quite rightly, a professional consultation costs money and may last in excess of an hour. You may decide to meet and consult two or three surgeons before making your important decision. Make sure you get to meet the surgeon at consultation personally. Beware of unqualified 'advisors' who may be dispensing medical advice without any formal background in plastic surgery. Remarkably, this practice is not illegal and is quite common. Essentially, meet the surgeon or go elsewhere. At the consultation, Dr. Tehrani will discuss your problem thoroughly with you; review the options; assess your suitability; make the risks and benefits clear; and finally will recommend the procedure (if any) he judges to be right for you considering effectiveness, safety, cost and appropriateness. You should feel comfortable with his explanations and his recommendation.
Yellow Pages and women's magazines carry paid-for advertising but be skeptical about extravagant claims. If you see seductive photographs and deals that sound too good to be true, they probably are.
Your GP or nurse or other contacts in the medical profession may be able to recommend a surgeon. Additionally, hospitals can provide you with lists of plastic surgeons who have operating privileges - that is those who have been approved by fellow surgeons.
Ask to see relevant 'before' and 'after' photographs of patients with a problem like yours. Ask if the doctor can put you in touch with previous patients who would be happy to discuss their experiences frankly.
A friend or colleague who has had successful plastic surgery of the kind you are considering is an excellent starting point.
Your surgeon and his office staff should be frank, clear and confident about fees. Ask the office to include the operating room fee, any fee for an anesthetist and other relevant costs. Importantly, at Aristocrat Plastic Surgery the agreed fees are presented in a surgical proposal which includes pre and post-operative advice and care, the surgical fee, hospital and facility fees, the anesthesiologist's fee, fees for implants or special equipment, and follow-up visits for 6 months.
Trust your personal feelings about the surgeon and his staff and act on them. Is he or she convincing? A strong character? Someone you would naturally trust and depend on in an emergency? Remember you can always walk away.
Consider the trust a woman must place in her gynecologist or obstetrician. In some ways she must place even greater faith and trust in her plastic surgeon. A woman who is not ill allows the surgeon to alter her looks permanently. She places in his hands not just her appearance but also her self-confidence, her self-image, her sense of self-worth, all of which may affect her happiness, her relationships, and her career...
Your plastic surgeon will have to be a master of medical science and surgery, a person sensitive enough to empathize with you, and someone artistic enough to reshape the human body itself - bone, cartilage, muscle, fat and skin - while reassuring and supporting you at every stage.
Take your time. Choose wisely. Don't just go for the lowest cost. Beware of cheap all-in-one cosmetic surgery packages to other countries. You usually get exactly what you pay for. Aesthetic surgery is too important a choice for you not to be fully informed and perfectly comfortable before proceeding.
To schedule a consultation with Dr. Tehrani or for additional information, please contact us.
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