subject: Does Your Plastic Surgeon Specialize? [print this page] When you visit the office of a plastic surgeon, do you have any idea what he or she specializes in? What types of procedures are being performed on a regular basis? Before you set up that initial consultation, it may be in your best interest to learn whether or not your doctor has a specialty within this part of the medical community. While nothing can guarantee that you get the results that you are longing for, there may be a few benefits to seeing someone that has experience in one or two specific operations.
What makes someone a specialist?
Whether or not your plastic surgeon is a specialist is up for discussion. Many potential patients consider a certain physician a specialist if he or she focuses mainly on certain types of procedures. For example, some doctors work specifically with patients that attempting to recover or reconstruct their bodies after burns. Others work on "mommy makeovers" and consistently perform breast augmentations and tummy tucks.
On the other hand, there are doctors that will perform any procedure that a patient is interested in. Whether it involves, the face, the chest or any other part of the body, the doctor is able to make the desired changes. This person may be considered more of a generalist when it comes to elective cosmetic procedures.
What are the benefits?
Some patients believe there are benefits to seeing a plastic surgeon that specializes in one or two procedures. Because the same surgeries are performed over and over, there is a belief that he or she has more experience than other doctors in this area. They may have more of a developed technique that tends to give patients some extra peace of mind.
These doctors often keep up to date with the technology and research that surrounds these procedures. It would not be unusual to find advanced medical equipment that helps with viewing the potential results that a breast augmentation patient can expect when the office performs multiple augmentations every week or every month.
Are there any drawbacks?
The downside of seeing a plastic surgeon that specializes is the inconvenience that it might create if you want to have multiple procedures done. You cannot see the same person for all of the elective work that you plan to have done. If you had wonderful results with one surgery, you gain trust in the skills of your plastic surgeon and you may want some other things taken care of. Unfortunately, this doctor does not take on operations outside of his or her area of expertise.
Every person must make up his or her mind when it comes to finding a medical professional that will handle certain elective operations. If you think you have found the right person, be sure to set up an initial consultation to learn more about the procedure and the physician.
