Choosing a Plastic Surgeon

Choosing a plastic surgeon begins with a credential, and a credential is something a reader can check long before a price is on the table. Cleveland Clinic says that after their residency training, plastic surgeons may choose to complete a rigorous exam to become board certified. Cleveland Clinic also says the American Board of Plastic Surgery is one organization that grants board certification.

What you can know before a consultation

Before a consultation you can find out who is certified and by which board. You cannot find out a firm cost, because that comes from a written quote. Keeping those two questions apart makes each one easier to answer.

For background, Cleveland Clinic has an article on what plastic surgeons do and how they are certified. The American Board of Plastic Surgery runs a certification lookup where a surgeon's name can be checked.

The pages in this guide

• Facial Plastic Surgery Certification explains a credential specific to the face, so a quote for facial work can be matched to the right board.
• Choosing Who Does Your Procedure turns the question to the person named on the quote, and what to ask about them.
• Cosmetic Surgery Abroad Risks covers what changes when the surgeon is far from home, and why a cheaper-looking figure needs closer reading.
• What Board Certification Means defines the term, so a surgeon's claim can be read for what it says.
• Verifying a Surgeon's Certification shows how to confirm the claim yourself.

The NHS has advice on choosing who will do your cosmetic procedure and on cosmetic surgery abroad, both useful beside any quote.

Before you go further

Have one term clear: board certified. Know which board granted it and where you can check it.