Understanding Cosmetic Surgery
Part of the process involved in choosing to go forward with cosmetic surgery is educational. The better you understand cosmetic surgery, the better prepared you’ll be to make the right choice for you.
There are many questions and misconceptions about cosmetic surgery today. To help patients make educated choices about cosmetic surgery, the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery has designed the following information to: explain the difference between cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery; the criteria to use when choosing your cosmetic surgeon; the truth about messages in the media; questions about board certification and the multi-disciplinary nature of cosmetic surgery. The AACS encourages patients to read this information before making decisions about healthcare providers. Further information is available on the AACS web site, www.cosmeticsurgery.org.
What is the difference between cosmetic and plastic surgery?
Cosmetic surgery is a unique discipline of medicine focused on enhancing appearance through surgical and medical techniques. Cosmetic surgery can be performed on all areas of the head, neck and body. Because treated areas function properly but lack aesthetic appeal, cosmetic surgery is elective. Plastic surgery is defined as a surgical specialty dedicated to reconstruction of facial and body defects due to birth disorders, trauma, burns and disease. Plastic surgery is intended to correct dysfunctional areas of the body and is reconstructive in nature.
How does the education differ between a plastic surgeon and a cosmetic surgeon?
As there is no residency program specifically focused on cosmetic surgery, physicians who wish to pursue cosmetic surgery have different backgrounds. First, a physician must go through medical school and a residency program, preferably in a surgical specialty such as General Surgery, Otolaryngology (head and neck surgery), Dermatologic Surgery or Plastic Surgery and Obstetrics and Gynecology. After proving competent in anatomy, physiology, pathology and basic sciences, a physician may attain board certification in their specialty and then continue their post-residency training specifically in cosmetic surgery. This can be done through a fellowship program (a one-on-one observational and training program with an experienced cosmetic surgeon), as well as through workshops, seminars and lectures. Physicians with enough experience in cosmetic surgery may choose to become certified by the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery.
Plastic Surgeons follow the same educational timeline as many cosmetic surgeons. After finishing medical school, they complete a residency in plastic surgery, learning to treat defects of the face and body including tumors, cleft palates, deformities, hand repair and burn injuries. A physician may then become certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. At this point, a plastic surgeon may take the same steps as a General Surgeon or Dermatologic Surgeon to gain experience in cosmetic surgery—through a fellowship training program, workshops, seminars and lectures, and then become certified by the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery after gaining more experience.
What does it mean to be “Board-Certified?”
Board certification is one of the many measurements in determining a surgeon’s qualifications. It is important to ask your doctor about his or her credentials and study them carefully. Each certifying board has different requirements and measures a physician’s education and experience in different fields. Check your doctor’s board certification and professional society affiliation(s) and call the board or society to find out what the requirements are for membership.
All Fellows of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery have their initial board certification by one of the member boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) such as the American Boards of Dermatology, Otolaryngology, Ophthalmology, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Plastic Surgery, General Surgery and Obstetrics and Gynecology. This provides some assurance of formal training in the fundamentals of cosmetic surgery. All of these specialty boards require at least four years of residency training in surgical procedures and provide a solid base for the doctor’s skills.
Many of these board-certified physicians will then go on to complete the requirements to undergo the rigorous oral and written testing and scrutiny to become board-certified by the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, which has established a strict set of criteria to ensure experience and proficiency specifically in cosmetic surgery.
What is the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery?
The American Board of Cosmetic Surgery is the only certifying board exam devoted to examining a surgeon’s skill in cosmetic surgery of the face and body. It is an independent sub-specialty board that examines and certifies physicians in General, Facial and Dermatological Cosmetic Surgery.
Eligibility requirements include:
Being certified in one of several ABMS Boards (including the American Board of Plastic Surgery, American Board of Surgery, American Board of Dermatologic Surgery, American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, the American Board of Otolaryngology or the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology).
You can learn more about the ABCS and find physicians board-certified in cosmetic surgery at americanboardcosmeticsurgery.org.
- Completing an AACS-approved fellowship or being in practice a minimum of six years and having performed at least 1000 cosmetic surgery cases.
- Passing a stringent two-day oral and written examination.
- Being of good moral character.
Where can I find out if a doctor has had malpractice suits against him/her? Where can I file a complaint against a physician?
Each state has its own Medical Board that licenses physicians and tracks complaints and disciplinary actions taken against physicians of all disciplines. Most states have online systems to quickly look up doctors by name. Contact your state’s Medical Board or Department of Health to find the correct office. A listing of State Medical Boards may be found at www.fsmb.org under “Board Directory.”
What does it mean to be a Fellow/Associate member?
Fellow members of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery must be board-certified by an ABMS-approved surgical specialty or the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, be actively involved in cosmetic surgery by performing at least 100 cases per year, and provide a letter of recommendation from a current AACS Fellow member or hospital Chief of Staff. Associate membership in AACS is for medical and dental professionals who have not yet met all of the requirements for Fellow membership, and want to pursue their interest in cosmetic surgery. Once Associate members become eligible, they may choose to upgrade their membership to Fellow. All applicants for membership are reviewed by the Academy’s Board of Trustees.
Don’t be shy or embarrassed to ask tough questions during your consultation. Such as, how many of these procedures do you perform each month and what is your complication rate? A confident, well-trained and experienced surgeon will have no trouble honestly answering these questions.
Surgery or Scalpel-Free?
Just two decades ago, getting a lift or an augmentation meant going under the knife. But today, surgeons also have a wealth of safe and effective noninvasive options from injectables to lasers for helping to achieve a New You.
The decision to have surgery versus the noninvasive route is not a toss-up, however, but depends on your personal goals. Are you looking for a tweak or a “refresh”? Or do you want to actually change something, for example, the shape of your nose or the size of your breasts? Other factors may include the amount of time you are able to take off from work and the ability to finance the procedure.
Whether it’s for your body, breast, face or skin, we’ve got the real deal right here about cosmetic procedures of all kinds. Ultimately, your choice should be made with the advice of an experienced, board-certified surgeon who specializes in the area of the body that you want to address.
