Choosing a Plastic Surgeon: Board Certified
When you’re choosing a plastic surgeon in Long Island for a facelift, breast augmentation, Mommy makeover or body contouring, you want to make sure that you’ll receive outstanding results that boost your confidence and help you achieve your aesthetic goals. At Cold Spring Plastic Surgery, our experienced, board-certified plastic surgeons are committed to ensuring that all of our patients receive the highest standards of care and exceptional artistry in cosmetic procedures.
One way that you can ensure that you are selecting a well-trained and skilled plastic surgeon is to ensure that you choose a board-certified plastic surgeon. Maintaining board certification with the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) means not only that your surgeon has gone through extensive training and passed oral and written tests but also that he or she continues to stay up-to-date on the latest procedures and developments in the field.
What is Board Certification?
Any Long Island physician is legally permitted to perform cosmetic surgery. However, not all doctors have specialized, long-term training in plastic surgery. When a surgeon is board-certified by the ABPS, you know that he or she has completed a residency in their specific area of specialization. This means that board-certified plastic surgeons aren’t just adding cosmetic surgery to a suite of other procedures. Instead, your surgeon has dedicated years of study, examination, and practice to develop in the field of plastic surgery.
When you select a board-certified plastic surgeon, you are choosing skills and experience that you can rely upon for beautiful outcomes that reflect your personal goals and desires.
Skills, Training, and Experience
The ABPS is the plastic surgery board recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties. This is the main certifying body for plastic surgeons. The requirements for ABPS certification are substantial, including:
- Completing at least six years of additional specialized training after medical school
- Review of clinical work by board examiners
- Successfully completing oral and written examinations
Initial certification remains valid for 10 years. After that time, it must be renewed, and a surgeon’s work will again be reviewed and tested. Continuing education and training in the most advanced procedures is critical to maintaining a successful ABPS certification over the years.
Highest Standard of Care in Plastic Surgery
In some cases, Long Island physicians who are specialized in dermatology, gynecology or general family medicine may advertise cosmetic surgery services. Board certification, on the other hand, ensures that you are choosing an expert plastic surgeon with the highest standards for aesthetic results, medical care, and patient safety.
Board-certified plastic surgeons haven’t only completed a great deal of formal medical education. They have also completed intense plastic surgery residencies and fellowships at outstanding teaching hospitals, often handling complex and difficult cases. These years of experience are reflected in the complex, individualized care they provide to their patients.
All Areas of Cosmetic Surgery
Specialists in other types of surgical fields may be well-trained and skilled in some areas of cosmetic surgery related specifically to their fields. However, ABPS board-certified plastic surgeons are fully trained at a high, expert level in all areas of plastic surgery. You can trust that a board-certified plastic surgeon is trained to an expert level in all types of procedures, including:
- Reconstructive and cosmetic procedures for the entire body
- Breast augmentation, reduction or revision
- Tummy tuck or Mommy makeover
- Rhinoplasty
- Browlift, facelift and neck lift procedures
- Liposuction and body contouring
Professional Memberships and Hospital Privileges
Hospital privileges are another factor to consider when examining a plastic surgeon’s qualifications. Hospitals will only allow well-trained, well-qualified surgeons with excellent records to perform plastic surgery procedures in their facilities. When you see that your surgeon has hospital privileges, this means that the hospital has also evaluated his or her skills, training and qualifications. All of the surgeons at Cold Spring Plastic Surgery are highly trained and affiliated with a number of excellent local hospitals.
You may also want to learn about your surgeon’s affiliation with and membership in relevant professional societies. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is the largest, best-known and best-regarded organization of plastic surgeons in the country. Members must adhere to a strong code of ethics and maintain Continuing Medical Education requirements to retain their membership.
Members of the ASPS only operate at accredited surgical facilities, further ensuring patient care and safety. Hand surgeons may belong to the American Society for Surgery of the Hand and the American Association for Hand Surgery, which also requires their members to maintain high standards of education, training, and practice.
If you are looking for an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon, contact the office of Cold Spring Plastic Surgery for an initial consultation. Our surgeons will meet with you in our convenient Huntington office to discuss your goals and make recommendations. Contact our office at 631-470-9650 or use our secure online form to request an appointment.
Posted in: Plastic Surgery