NEW
YORK, NY (April 10, 2003)

You may want to discuss the following points
before scheduling your consultation:

• Ask if the doctor is a member of
  the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic
  Surgery (ASAPS). ASAPS membership
  ensures that the doctor is certified by
  the American Board of Plastic Surgery (see
  next bullet) and has also met other special
  requirements for cosmetic surgery experience
  and continuing education.
  
• Ask if the doctor is certified by the American
  Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS). When a
  doctor claims to be "board certified,"
  ask by which board. Only one, the American
  Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) is recognized
  by the American Board of Medical Specialties
  (ABMS) to certify doctors in the specialty
  of plastic surgery.
  
• Ask about the doctor's hospital privileges.
  Some surgical procedures can safely be performed
  in the doctor's office or other ambulatory
  surgical facility. However, it is important
  to find out if the doctor has operating
  privileges in an accredited hospital for
  the same procedure you would like to have
  performed. Before granting operating privileges,
  hospital review committees evaluate a surgeon's
  training and competency for specific procedures.
  If the doctor does not have hospital privileges
  to perform your procedure, look for another
  surgeon.
  
• If the doctor operates in an ambulatory
  or office-based facility, ask if the facility
  is accredited. Although most states do not
  currently require ambulatory or office-based
  facilities to be accredited, voluntary application
  can be made to an accrediting body, such
  as the American Association for Accreditation
  of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF).
  Facilites accredited by AAAASF have met
  strict requirements for all aspects of operation,
  and such accreditation denotes a high standard
  of care. As of July 2002, ASAPS members
  performing plastic surgery in which anesthesia
  (other than local anesthesia and/or minimal
  tranquilization) is used must operate in
  a facility that meets at least one of the
  following criteria: accredited by a national
  or state-recognized accrediting organization;
  state-licensed; or Medicare-certified.

During your consultation, the following
questions can be discussed with the surgeon:

• What experience does the doctor
  have in performing this procedure?
  Ask what training has been completed,
  especially in new techniques, as well
  as how often he or she performs the procedure.
  Ask to see certificates of training.
  
• What are the possible risks?
  There are risks with any surgical procedure.
  Find out what they are, how often they
  occur, and how they will be handled if
  they do occur. If the doctor does not
  openly discuss the risks or says that
  there are no risks, seek another opinion.
  
• What is the expected recovery
  for the procedure? Important
  points to discuss are postoperative restrictions
  on activity and typical time periods for
  resuming work and social activities.
  
• What is the doctor's policy
  on surgical revisions? A small
  percentage of cases may require surgical
  revisions to achieve the desired result.
  Find out about any costs for which you
  may be responsible.
  
• How much will the surgery cost?
  Cosmetic surgery is not covered by insurance,
  and payment usually is required in advance.
  Costs include the surgeon's fee and fees
  for the surgical facility and anesthesia.
  Other possible costs are the preoperative
  physical and blood work, medications,
  surgical garments, and private-duty nursing.
  While it is tempting to "bargain
  shop", or compromise, the training
  and experience of your surgeon are the
  most important factors in the success
  of your surgery. Do not compromise.