Clevens: Four important questions to ask plastic surgeon

Plastic surgery is a journey. And every journey starts with a single step. For many of my patients, the first step is the initial one-on-one consultation.

If you are considering a cosmetic procedure, I recommend that you seek factual information to learn everything you can about plastic surgery and your surgeon. Having a consultation is the single best way to build your knowledge, giving you the power to make the right decision for yourself and achieve the best possible result in the safest setting.

During your consultation, you can expect your surgeon to review your medical history, answer questions about the procedures that interest you, and discuss a treatment plan for achieving your goals.

Following are the four most important questions to ask your plastic surgeon. It is important to realize that these questions apply not only to cosmetic ‘surgery’ but also to procedures such as Botox, fillers and laser treatments.

1. Are you board certified in plastic surgery?

Fact. While scary, it’s true that in Florida, any licensed physician can perform “cosmetic or plastic surgery” including fillers, Botox and laser treatments without even having any training in plastic or cosmetic surgery.

Some general surgeons, family doctors, emergency room physicians, OB-GYNs and even dentists represent themselves as cosmetic surgeons even though they have no training in cosmetic surgery or board certification in plastic surgery or facial plastic surgery.

The American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (www.abfprs.org) grants board certification in facial plastic surgery as a specialty after a rigorous system of education, training and review. If you are seeking facial plastic or cosmetic surgery or treatments, be certain your doctor is board certified by the ABFPRS.

The American Board of Plastic Surgery (www.abplasticsurgery.org) grants board certification in plastic surgery and maintains high standards for education and examination of plastic surgeons. Whereas the ABFPRS certifies surgeons as specialists in facial plastic surgery, the ABPS certifies surgeons in the field of plastic surgery.

The important consideration is to be certain that your “cosmetic” surgeon has undergone the rigorous education, examination and certification of either the ABPS or the ABFPRS and not a board unrelated to the specialty of plastic surgery.

This ensures your doctor has undergone years of rigorous training and examination so that he or she might rightfully call themselves a “plastic” or “facial plastic” surgeon. It can take up to 14 or more years of training after high school to become a “plastic” surgery specialist.

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2. How often do you perform the procedure I want?

Do you want your surgeon to be an expert who achieves excellence through repetition and experience or an occasional dabbler? Be certain your surgeon performs your procedure of choice day in and day out and has done so for many years.

Think about yourself ... have you become better and more experienced with time and repetition? Likewise, your surgeon achieves excellence through time and repetition.

Ask your surgeon how often he or she performs the procedure on a yearly basis, and ask how many he or she has performed over their career. Ask to see before and after photos.

The more times your surgeon has performed the procedure, the more before and after photos he or she should be able to share with you. If they have only a few before and after photos, perhaps they have performed the procedure only a few times.

Success in cosmetic surgery demands excellence honed as a result of experience over years and years. Excellence is about repetition. I know that continuing to work hard, refining your craft day after day is what produces excellence and this excellence becomes engrained in you and on your heart and you learn to demand nothing but the best. This is what you should expect in your plastic surgery specialist.

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3. What type of anesthesia will I receive and where will my procedure be performed?

Just as any licensed doctor can perform “cosmetic surgery,” whether or not they are board certified in plastic surgery (ABPS) or facial plastic surgery (ABFPRS), it is scary that a doctor can legally perform “surgery” in his office without proper certification.

In our practice, Dr. Amy Ortega and I perform all of our plastic surgery procedures in a fully accredited and state licensed ambulatory surgical facility. Our surgery center undergoes strict and regular inspection by the State of Florida and certification by nationally recognized accrediting organizations, with the same tight oversight similar to a hospital. This ensures maximum patient safety and comfort.

We also perform our procedures with a physician anesthesiologist, a specialized type of doctor whose sole job and expertise is to administer anesthesia, whether general or twilight, to our patients.

Some surgeons instead use a nurse, nurse anesthetist or anesthesia assistant instead of a trained doctor. Although this may save money, we don’t cut corners and feel that a physician anesthesiologist provides a higher level of security and well-being for our patients.

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4. How much will my procedure cost?

Because insurance does not cover cosmetic surgery procedures, you should expect to pay out of pocket. Do not be bashful about asking questions related to cost and what is and is not included in your estimate. You deserve clarity up front as to your financial investment.

In our practice, Dr. Ortega and I provide a binding cost analysis to our patients that includes all of the expenses related to the procedure including surgeon’s fees, anesthesia and facility costs as well as visits before and after your surgery so that you know up front all of the costs and expenses related to your procedure.

Patients often comparison shop when considering cosmetic surgery. In reality, this is difficult to do as cosmetic surgery is not like buying a car where a list of features and options is readily comparable. Instead, surgeons vary greatly in their skill, training and experience. As discussed above, some “cosmetic” surgeons are not even board certified in a plastic surgery specialty while others perform surgery in an office setting which may not be licensed instead of a properly accredited surgery center.

If you are seeking the best and expect excellence in plastic surgery, then comparison shopping is not the way to go. Find a board certified and trusted surgeon with a strong reputation and years of experience.

Ross A. Clevens, MD, FACS is Brevard’s award-winning double Board Certified Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon specializing in facial rejuvenation procedures such as facelift, eyelid surgery, and his signature Laser-Assisted Weekend Necklift™. Trained at Yale, Harvard, and the University of Michigan, Dr. Clevens has practiced locally for more than 20 years and is the founder of Clevens Face and Body Specialists, a plastic surgery group and medispa providing exceptional care to help patients look and feel their best. For more information, call 321.727.3223 or visitwww.drclevens.com.