9/24/08

According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), an estimated 11.7 million Americans underwent some form of aesthetic surgery in 2007 alone.

As more advanced technology and safer techniques are being implemented in practices, Americans are more willing to go under the knife.

Patients interested in an aesthetic surgery procedure are not only considering it important that they find a surgeon who specializes in the particular procedure, they are also becoming interested in board certification.

With more than 150 self-designated boards to choose from, certification can be very confusing to consumers searching for their surgeon’s certification on the Internet.

Physicians are not necessarily required to disclose their credentials in their advertising materials. Concurrently, many patients are not aware that any physician can publicly claim to be a "plastic surgeon" even if they have been specifically trained in a nonsurgical specialty.

In short, all physicians with a medical license can refer to themselves as surgeons whether or not they’ve had formal training in surgery.

We know that some physicians who haven’t received surgery training and aren’t board certified may perform operations in their offices, but they may not have the privileges to do so at an accredited hospital.

Most patients are not aware of this.

More.

[Source: PSP]