Each year, five million people around the globe elect for cosmetic surgery procedures. For these five million, what is of the utmost importance is that they elect to go to a board certified plastic surgeon for their procedure. Doctors without certification, especially those touting cheaper procedures abroad, have also experienced an uptick in business.
What Does Board Certified Mean?
To become board certified in Plastic Surgery, a surgeon must have graduated from an accredited medical school and completed five to seven years of additional training in an accredited program. The five years is divided between training in all aspects of surgery and the extra two years entirely devoted to plastic surgery.
The purpose is to ensure that the surgeon possesses superior education in order to provide the highest levels of patient care. In 2013, over two million cosmetic surgery procedures were done by board-certified surgeons.
Why Is Certification Important?
Certification does more than ensure that a plastic surgeon has basic knowledge. It ensures that the surgeon has the expertise, experience, and potential risks associated with the procedure and the knowledge of how to avoid them.
Doctors who are board certified in their specialty are specifically trained to perform those procedures, and those who are not, usually learn their way via weekend courses and conferences. Certified doctors have to maintain their certification by continuing education and re-testing their knowledge every so often. They also have standards that their board demands are kept. Doctors who are not certified in plastic surgery may have gained experience and skill necessary to perform procedures, but there is no standard or oversight to make sure that they are performed correctly.
How is Board Certification Safer?
With any operation, there may be risks and complications that may arise during the surgery. Since a board certified surgeon has been required to undergo additional training, their ability to handle unforeseen complications is going to be greater. An uncertified surgeon may not have the training or materials on hand to effectively manage complications that can arise from surgery.
With more people electing to have their cosmetic procedure done by a board certified plastic surgeon, the safety of plastic surgeries is increasing. Consulting a board certified plastic surgeon before undergoing a cosmetic procedure is in the best interest of the patient.