If you are considering having any type of plastic surgery procedure then the most
important first step is to find the right plastic surgeon for the job. There is the right way to go about it and then there are ways that are not so good. Let us take a look at this now.
In order to find a plastic surgeon who is appropriate for you doing thorough research, and your own research, is essential to the process. Do not rush through this but instead take your time with it. Write up a list of two to three plastic surgeons (or more if you have the time and energy) and then call up their offices and book interviews with each one of them.
On the day of the interviews take notice of everything! Notice where their offices are located, what the waiting areas look like and how you are greeted by the front desk staff. Take a notebook and pen with you to each interview. Ask pertinent questions about the procedure, costs, recovery and so on. Pay close attention to the communication you have with the doctor. It is important to choose a surgeon with whom you have a good rapport.
Ask the physician to see photos of his or her work. If you can see before and after photos of patients then that will give you a good idea of the quality of the doctor's plastic work. This makes a lot of difference and it is not a step that you should skip over.
You have a great deal invested in the choice of doctor which is why you should do your own unique form of research in looking for the right professional to work on your face or body. Do not simply ask for recommendations from others but instead do your own legwork.
What then is the wrong way to go about choosing a plastic surgeon? Many people think that finding a board-certified doctor is all that they need. This is not the case! The board certification test is a written test that simply proves that the surgeon knows his subject material. It is in no way an evaluation of his skill in the operating room nor does it give any indication of how he treats his patients. Finding a board-certified doctor does matter but what you really want is a surgeon who is excellent at what he does.
Asking your general practitioner for a recommendation is not likely to get you very far nor is it the best way to find a suitable surgeon. Just because both professionals are doctors does not mean that your family doctor will have extensive knowledge of cosmetic surgeons who are highly skilled in the area. Plastic surgery is not their specialty after all and most family doctors are so busy with their own patients that they do not have the time to evaluate all of the doctors who specialize in this field.
Getting referrals from former patients who were happy with the results of their surgeries is also not the most reliable means of finding a doctor. What you will hear is their own personal accounts of their experiences with surgeons. However these people have no way of knowing that another physician could have had the same success or even better success because they have no source of comparison to make.