Is my potential doctor board certified:

Of course you want to check and see if your doctor is board certified by the American board of Plastic Surgery for the body, breast, and face.

You can also refer to the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery for facial procedures.

For eyelid procedures, you can refer to the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery.

You should try and understand what the different levels of training involve. The plastic surgeons train for 2-3 years in plastic surgery after training for 3-6 years in a program of General or ENT surgery. The facial plastic surgeons generally complete their training in ENT surgery and then do a one year fellowship in surgery of the face. The oculoplastic surgeons generally complete an ophthalmology residency and then do a one year fellowship in surgery around the eye.

Board certification is no guarantee of a perfect surgical result but does identify surgeons who have met specific training and testing requirements. So at a minimum check your surgeon’s credentials and look for a board that is recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties.

Beware of the doctor claiming to be “board certified” whose credentials are not recognized above. There are weekend courses that grant certificates in “cosmetic surgery” of one sort or another.