Why Board-Certification is Just the Beginning

Posted Wednesday, September 28, 2011 to PROCEDURES > Breast

Posted by Paul Steinwald, M.D., Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon

By: Paul M. Steinwald, M.D.

If you spend some time browsing articles and blogs about plastic surgery, you'll probably run across articles detailing why it's important to choose a plastic surgeon who is board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. The reason why many people recommend seeing board-certified plastic surgeons is because they have specialized training and experience that surgeons who aren't board-certified may lack, and have passed rigorous written and oral exams to earn their board certification. And if it's after 1995, before which surgeons were "grandfathered-in" for life, it's important to know whether they have maintained their board-certification. Some plastic surgeons who also finished a general surgery program (such as myself), maintain double board-certification, reflecting broader training, an awareness of the most recent developments in the specialty, and endorsement by two separate major board-entities.

It is also critical to discern which board has certified your surgeon. For example, "The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery" may sound similar to "The American Board of Plastic Surgery" (one of only 24 official boards overseen by The American Board of Medical Specialties), and possibly even more impressive in its own right. Membership in the former, however, does not even require having completed residency in plastic and reconstructive surgery, and the membership process is a matter of little more than paying dues and submitting a case list of 35 related cases for the prior year (less than half required for the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons – the ASAPS another legitimate society - which also takes only ABPS-certified members). Although this "alphabet soup" can get confusing to the lay-person, it is worth trying to understand in seeking an ABPS-certified surgeon, since there is no law preventing any licensed physician (or even podiatrists or chiropractors) from offering "cosmetic" surgeries.

Although choosing a board-certified plastic surgeon is important, it's only the first step in choosing the right surgeon for you. After earning their board certifications, plastic surgeons may specialize in different aspects of surgery like breast surgery, reconstructive surgery, and other specialized types of surgery that may not encompass the procedure you want to undergo. Choosing a breast surgeon in Chicago may lead to better results than if you choose someone who specializes in facial plastic surgery, although it's not always a guarantee.

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