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Is the Number of Procedures Done by Doctors a Good Indicator of Success?

What is a fair amount of times per year that a doctor has performed surgery? I have been speaking with I plastic surgeon about a tummy tuck, breast lift and breast implants. The time has come and I am extremely nervous. I was wondering if the amount of times the doctor has performed all 3 procedure is a prediction of better results.

Asked 29 months ago by nataft in Pa

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How many of these have you done? Assessing a surgeon's experience.

When patients come into my office, they often ask this question, "how many of these have you done, doctor?" They have no idea what the right answer is. I'm not sure what the right answer is myself! Perhaps if the surgeon breaks down stuttering when asked the question, that is a bad sign. So how can you tell if your prospective doctor is qualified to do a procedure? Or better yet, how can you tell if your doctor is a leader in the field? The readers of RealSelf are... more

Doctor's Website

Brent Moelleken, MD

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

How much experience does a surgeon need for cosmetic succes?

All surgeons are different in their talent, judgment, training, and artistic eye. You can teach surgery and procedures but you cannot teach talent and artistry. You either have it or you don't. So, please carefully look at multiple photos of a doctor's work and look for what you want in your own result. Also, make sure they are Board Certified in Plastic Surgery, not in Cosmetic Surgery as this is not a real board certification recognized by the Am. Board of Medical Specialties. They... more

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS

Seattle Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

I'll tell you how you can tell if your doctor is competent...

Here's how: he or she is recommending A LOT of surgery to do at once. Many surgeons do it; it is certainly within the standard of care to do them together. BUT, we all know that there is increasing evidence that there are risks when additional procedures are done simultaneous with a tummy tuck. Did he or she discuss that with you? Did he or she explain that to you? Did he or she demonstrate an understanding of these issues? You asked about success. Your first definiton of success is... more

Steven Teitelbaum, MD

Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS

Experience with Tummy Tuck, Breast Implants, Breast Lift

You pose a good question. What makes one surgeon better than another? Is time the factor? There are many different factors that determine a skilled surgeon. Time is one factor that is both good and bad. The more years a surgeon practices the more experience he gets. In addition the more times he performs a particular surgery then in theory the better he should be. However, I've seen some outcomes from some well seasoned surgeons that are in my office for a revision. So just doing a... more

Christopher L. Hess, MD

Fairfax Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

The more experience with breast lift, augmentation and tummy tuck the better the result for sure

While doing anything many times wrong doesn't make a better result, the more often a surgeon preforms breast lifts, augmentation and tummy tucks either together or separately, the better their results will be. Experience is always a great teacher. The more often you do any thing the better your results will be. Do not let some one tell you other wise. To get good results with these procedures you need to be doing them frequently. Don't settle for a surgeon even if they are board certified... more

Carl W. "Rick" Lentz III, MD

Daytona Beach Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Surgeon's volume

Surgical volume or caseload is only relatively important, I think. A busy surgeon can be too busy, or busy doing the wrong procedure or operating on the wrong patient, or busy because of low price. A sugeon doing fewer procedures may do each with more care and thought in a unpressures manner. Obviously some experience is important but how a surgeon aproaches his work and you as a patient is probably more imprtant the the number of times a procedure is performed. Great surgeons learn to... more

Robin T.W. Yuan, MD

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Experience and judgment in surgery.

This is a difficult question to answer. Generally, the more one performs a procedure, the more opportunity one has to perfect the precedure and learn. However, this is not always true, if one is not critical of their own results. A surgeon must review and constantly analyze in order to advance their skills. One old saying comes to mind: Good judgment comes from experience but experience comes from bad judgment. Certainly, this is not always the case but it does have a grain of truth. more

Otto Joseph Placik, MD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Finding the Best Plastic Surgeon for You

Experience definitely is important when selecting a surgeon. Before and after photographs of the surgery you are considering can be important and can help in the decision-making process. At minimum, a dozen before and after photos of the surgery you are considering should be available. When choosing a plastic surgeon it is imperative to select a surgeon who is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Often, plastic surgeons who perform a great deal of aesthetic... more

Doctor's Website

Michael Law, MD

Raleigh-Durham Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Tummy tuck

After a number of procedures under the belt, it becomes a matter of artistic endeavor, rather the number of procedures. Experience does count, however.

Shahin Javaheri, MD

San Francisco Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Better results of breast lift, breast implants, and tummy tuck with more experienced surgeon.

Hi. It's all about the individual surgeon. You want a meticulous surgeon with a good eye. And there are surgeons who do a lot of operations with mediocre results. But, in general, the more breast lift, breast implants, and tummy tuck that a surgeon has done, the better your chances.

George J. Beraka, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

How to choose a sugeon

This a great question. Even for my own family there are times when you have to choose someone to perform your surgery. Remember that there are many factors to consider. First and foremost make sure you are comparing apples to apples - make sure your surgeon is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Also, nowadays we have to maintain our certification. So make sure they are participating in the Maintenance of Certification program. Beyond that ask for referrals from your... more

Bahram Ghaderi, MD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Surgeon's experience

You definitely want to have an experienced plastic surgeon. However, while experience says a lot, it does not guarantee fabulous results. A surgeon who has performed a procedure a thousand times is not necessarily better than a surgeon that has performed the same surgery hundreds of times. There are other things to consider such as credentials, training, artisty, personality, etc. Find a board certified plastic surgeon. Check out before and after photos of their work and most will have... more

Sam Speron, MD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Plastic Surgeon Search

What you need to do is find a board certified plastic surgeon. Then you need to go for a consultation and get the feel of the surgeon. Next you need to look at the before and after photos. One you have done all this, you take a step back and evaluate the surgeon on all the aspects. If you were pleased with all of it, then you have found your surgeon. Quantity is not quality!!!

Farbod Esmailian, MD

Orange County Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Number of procedures done by doctors tell success most of the time

Most of the time. Plastic surgeons are SUPER specialists. All of us had to train in another surgical field before beginning training in Plastic Surgery. As such, just like it does not take a seasoned guitar player or piano player to pick up and play a tune - it does not take a long time for a plastic surgery resident to learn how to perform a procedure adequately. But - like other surgical disciplines, Plastic Surgery depends on developing judgment and unlike other surgical fields there is... more

Peter A. Aldea, MD

Memphis Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

Plastic surgery and numbers of cases

You would best be treated by someone who is "seasoned" however it doesn't mean that the surgeon has to have done thousands of the type of procedure you want. Quantity doesn't always equate with quality.

Steven Wallach, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Does Number of Procedures Equal Success

You certainly want to have an experienced plastic surgeon. However, someone who has performed a procedure 500 times is not necessarily going to obtain a better result than one who has done the procedure 100 times. Seek a Board-certified surgeon who is a member of ASAPS. Ask to see photos and to speak with others who have undergone the procedure. Do not be afraid to seek a second or even a third opinion.

John Whitt, MD

Louisville Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Not really

Here is my opinion based on my life experience. Quantity is important as the young doctor overcomes the learning curve and develops his skill. Numbers are important to keep the edge as well. However, I have seen that no matter how many times a procedure is done, some doctors never seem to get a good result. This may result in a lack of skill, patience, a critical aesthetic eye, or lack of passion for our profession. On the other hand, I have also seen the converse where a neophyte comes... more

Scott E. Kasden, MD

Dallas Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Surgeons expertise

Although all board certified plastic surgeons have the basic education their experiences and talets vary. Generally speaking the more of something that someone does, the better they should get at it. This is especially true in the free enterprise system because if they are not doing a good job people would not go to them and therefor they would have less patients. So if you have someone who does the moat breast augmentations(or other specific procedure) they are probably pretty good at it. more