Getting Houston cosmetic surgery is one of the most important decisions of your life, and making sure that you get the procedure done by the Houston cosmetic surgeon who is right for you is an essential step in that process. Fortunately, finding the answers to several of the following questions will help ensure that you will be matched up with the right doctor for you.
Most importantly, find out if the surgeon you are considering is board certified. The American Board of Plastic Surgery is generally believed to be the most known and respected organization of this type in the United States. Doctors certified by the board will have met several requirements; these include graduating from an accredited medical school and having done at least three years of general surgery, two years of supervised residency in plastic surgery and two years of professional practice.
If you are looking to have a Houston face lift done, see if the doctor is certified by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
You can easily check the board certification status of physicians you are considering at CertificationMatters.org. Also consider contacting your state’s medical board to further investigate these doctors and see if they are facing any disciplinary actions or malpractice judgments.
Another important question to ask prior to getting Houston breast implants or another type of plastic surgery is whether or not the physician has hospital privileges to perform the procedure you are looking to have done. This is because hospitals tend to have pretty stringent requirements that need to be met before an individual is allowed to complete those operations there.
Finding out how many times this surgeon has done Houston cosmetic surgery is another important question that you should have answered to ensure that you are going to be operated on by an experienced doctor. It is also important to find out who will be helping the surgeon with the procedure, what their qualifications are and what duties they will be responsible for. Also, in the unlikely event of complications, will there be emergency staff available to help and will you be transported to a local hospital? If so, which one?
It is also important to find out exactly how the procedure will be done and where it will take place. What type of anesthesia will be used? General anesthesia is only administered by highly trained doctors while local anesthesia is the safest option. However, the latter option may not be possible; this depends on the type of surgery you are looking to have done. Also, more plastic surgery procedures are being done in the doctor’s office than had been the case in the past. One benefit to having your surgery done in that type of setting is that it is generally more affordable than getting the procedure done at a hospital.
Ask to see a series of before-and-after pictures of patients this doctor has operated on. Ensure that the photos you are being shown are actually former patients of the surgeon and not stock photos. Requesting contact information for a few of their patients who have received the procedure you are looking to have done is another reasonable request. This is also a great way to discover what the procedure will be like from a patient’s perspective and ask about the surgery itself to the recovery process.
To avoid any financial surprises once the procedure is finished, make sure to ask for a complete breakdown of the fees that you or your insurance company will be charged. These can include a surgeon’s fee, lab fees, operating room fees and anesthesia fees.
And, of course, consider whether or not the physician you are considering makes you feel relaxed and comfortable. It is important to also go with your instincts when deciding on which doctor to use.