How to Choose Your Plastic Surgeon

Avoid Mistakes When Choosing a Plastic Surgeon

Making the decision to have plastic surgery is a very personal one and you may be overwhelmed by the task of finding a reputable plastic surgeon. You need to work with a highly trained, credentialed, skilled, and experienced surgeon who truly has your best interests at heart. While there are dozens of surgeons out there who perform a variety of plastic and cosmetic procedures, only a handful have completed formal training in the field. There are some ways to avoid risky mistakes when choosing a plastic surgeon.

How to Verify Credentials

Many doctors can promote themselves as board-certified surgeons but only some are actually board-certified in plastic or cosmetic surgery. Since a physician legally has the right to perform cosmetic procedures without completing formal training in plastic surgery, they may not have the high level of skills and expertise you need to achieve optimal results. You need to determine whether the surgeon has the following:

• Completed accredited residency in plastic surgery
• Several years of experience performing plastic surgery procedures
• Testimonials from real patients verifying his or her work

For example, Dr. Suzanne Quardt (Dr. Q) is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and completed her plastic surgery residency at the University of Southern California – Keck School of Medicine’s Division of Plastic Surgery. She was also an Aesthetic Surgery Fellow at the University of Southern California – Marina Plastic Surgery Associates and a Plastic Surgery Fellow at the University of Southern California – Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center Pressure Ulcer Management/Plastic & Burn Reconstructive Surgery in 2004 and 2005.

Other Ways to Verify Plastic Surgery Experience

Even if a doctor has the right credentials, they may be busy performing other procedures or surgeries they specialized in that are completely unrelated to aesthetics. This means they may have very few patients that can serve as living testimonials of the doctor’s work. You need to take the time to ask about past patients undergoing the same or similar procedure as yours, review before and after photos, and determine how many years of experience the doctor has performing your particular procedure. Doctors who rarely perform your procedure may not be skilled enough to work on you so you would be taking a risk. Ask for proof of experience in the form of photos and written testimonials from patients to make sure you choose a doctor you can trust.

Dr. Q is a board-certified plastic surgeon with a track record of success with her aesthetic and cosmetic patients. If you are looking for a reputable and highly-qualified plastic or cosmetic surgeon, contact our office today to schedule your consultation with Dr. Q.