Have you ever considered transforming your look through cosmetic or plastic surgery? You probably all have thought about it from time to time but the number one concern is the outcome. Will it make you look better or worse? As we all know, anytime you interfere with mother nature, you take a chance that things could go wrong. That is why selecting a competent doctor is of primary importance. Keep in mind that the Arizona law allows all licensed physicians to perform any procedures that he or she is competent to perform even if the performance of the procedure was not a part of his/her formal training.
The Arizona Medical Board is a great place to get started once you have developed a list of potential physicians. Just go to www.azmd.gov and click on “doctors”. On this site you can get the profile of each physician including the status of the license, where the physician received formal training and the specialty field of medicine. It identifies if the physician is Board Certified in a particular specialty by a Board that is recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). Disciplinary actions or malpractice claims or judgment or criminal convictions are also included.
Once you have reviewed the doctor’s profile, click on “Consumer Center” at http://www.azmd.gov/. This section will give you a guidance document and a check list to help you evaluate the doctor’s profile. It includes questions to ask the doctor about his/her experience and the experience of those assisting him/her. In addition, it gives questions pertaining to the procedure, risks involved and the expected results.
Next, you might try the website of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons at www.plasticsurgery.org. This is a good site for learning about the various choices available for skin treatments and face, breast, and body procedures. It provides a description of each procedure and what it corrects. Details pertaining to the steps and recovery are also included. If you are wondering about the cost, there is a chart with the national average surgeon/physician fees for each procedure. All physicians listed on the referral service are board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and /or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
Similar information about the procedures is provided at www.plasticsurgery.com. By clicking on “Find a Plastic Surgeon”, you can search for doctors by location, procedure, or doctor’s name. Each profile lists all of the procedures the doctor performs and it allows you to go directly to the doctor’s website if you so wish. You can even e-mail the doctor directly with questions and comments. I particularly liked the breakdown on its plastic surgery cost chart. It includes the average cost for the physician/surgeon fees, the number of treatments required and the estimated recovery time.
