How To Choose A Cosmetic Surgeon
Choosing your surgeon is the most important decision you will make about your cosmetic surgery. No other decision will have as great an impact on your quality of results and overall experience as your choice of surgeon. Even after you limit your choices to only the most qualified surgeons, not every surgeon is right for every patient. We offer the following tips to help you find a surgeon that is qualified and will help you get the results you want from your surgery.
Plastic Surgeons vs. “Cosmetic Surgeons”
Plastic surgery is the specialty that, for the longest time, has devoted itself to the treatment and correction of problems related to the form and shape of the body. This has included reconstruction of congenital birth defects, reconstruction of cancer-related deformities and, no less importantly, to the improvement of form accomplished through cosmetic surgery.
Plastic surgery has involved itself with these types of challenges over the entire body and over many decades, techniques have improved to not only allow for relief from illness and injury, but also to provide increasingly natural, subtle and effective means of improving shape and beauty.
This lineage of plastic surgeons sets the specialty apart from other physicians who might call themselves cosmetic surgeons.
Plastic surgery is a recognized medical specialty, and plastic surgeons have received board certification to demonstrate that they have received additional training specifically dedicated to the best practices in reconstructive and cosmetic plastic surgery. “Cosmetic surgeons” are doctors, but exactly what kind of doctor varies. Their primary training and certification may be in general practice, pediatrics, gynecology, ophthalmology or dozens of other specialties, and their training in “cosmetic surgery” may vary from none to a few short weekend courses.
One reason to pick a plastic surgeon over a “cosmetic surgeon” is safety. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons, which is the largest organization of board certified plastic surgeons in the world, has established clear safety guidelines for practicing surgeons, including requiring the use of an accredited operating room for most surgeries, as well as encouraging the collection of data and statistics to evaluate techniques for safety. As a result, plastic surgeons perform the safest plastic surgery medical technology can achieve.
Get Referrals from Friends and Family
If you are lucky enough to have good references for a plastic surgeon, you should give them significant weight. Family and friends that have utilized the plastic surgeon, can tell you what the surgeon is really like in practice, not just the quality of the results achieved, but their overall office and surgical experience.
Look at Before and After Pictures
A surgeon’s work can speak volumes about his training, experience, and talent. Although these images cannot guarantee you will get similar results, it can give you a good sense of the results the surgeon can achieve.
Find Someone You Can Work with
Communication is crucial in getting the results you desire from plastic surgery. You need to be able to talk to your surgeon to tell him what results you want, and understand the options and instructions he is giving you. A significant portion of the plastic surgery process is psychological, and working with a surgeon who makes you feel comfortable and confident about the procedure you are having can put you in the best frames of mind for a good surgical experience.
To talk to Tampa plastic surgeon, Dr. Antonio Gayoso about his training or experience, look at his before and after images, and learn if he is a surgeon you can work with, please call or email us today. We happily serve patients in Tampa, St Petersburg, and Clearwater, Florida.