subject: What to Look for in a Liposuction Surgeon (Fort Worth and Dallas) [print this page] What to Look for in a Liposuction Surgeon (Fort Worth and Dallas)
Liposuction is one of the most common plastic surgery procedures performed in the Fort Worth area, and there are dozens of surgeons offering the procedure. Picking which one to go with is the most important decision you will make about your liposuction procedure. Your liposuction surgeon will have more impact on the quality of your results and your risk of complications than any other factor. Here are some tips below to help you pick the surgeon that's right for you.
Board Certification
Having a license to practice medicine in Texas gives doctors a great deal of latitude in deciding what procedures they want to perform, even if they have little or no training in that procedure. The only way to know that your doctor actually as received training and practice in performing the liposuction procedure is that the doctor is a board-certified plastic surgeon. According to a recent survey of practices in the Los Angeles-San Diego megalopolis showed that nearly 40% of liposuction surgeons were not board-certified plastic surgeons. The numbers are likely to be similar, if not worse, in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, so it's important that you ask any potential liposuction surgeon about his or her board certification.
Experience
Training and board certification give a liposuction surgeon a great foundation for learning the essentials of how to get great liposuction results safely, but there are many lessons that surgeons learn on-the-job. You want to look for a surgeon that has had plenty of time to learn the subtle, unteachable lessons only experience can provide.
Honesty
Honesty is an important quality in your liposuction surgeon. In particular, you are looking for a doctor who will give you the straight facts about your procedure, establishing realistic expectations about both results and risks. You need to trust your surgeon to tell you when liposuction is not a good procedure. A liposuction surgeon should also limit your expectations to avoid the postsurgical depression that can be caused by unrealistic expectations before your procedure, even if you get good results.
The Artist, not the Tool
During your decision-making process, you should visit the websites of several potential liposuction surgeons. In addition to making sure they are board-certified and experienced, you should look at how they position their liposuction procedure. There are many recent innovations in liposuction, and even though some of them have contributed to the advancement of the field, none of them are a substitute for a surgeon's skill. If a liposuction surgeon promotes the latest technology, but has little to say about his skill or training, it may be best to consider another surgeon who doesn't rely on the new technology to try to draw in patients to an otherwise unattractive practice or overcome weaknesses of technique.
Results
Finally, you want to make sure to look at a liposuction surgeon's results before making a commitment. Most websites include before and after liposuction galleries, so you can see people that have had the procedure with this surgeon before you. Look for people of similar build who are having the same areas treated that you are looking to target. If you don't see any, call the practice--most surgeons have more before and after images on file and you may be able to see them by request--before you schedule a consultation.
