Do your homework and check into the credentials of each plastic surgeon.

So who is qualified to do your breast surgery?  Let’s keep this practical as possible; it is about the individual plastic surgeon. Do your homework and thoroughly check into his/her background. Specifically:

• Find out where he/she went to medical school, residency training, and fellowship training. 
• Confirm that she/he is board certified and by what organization. Investigate that organization; unfortunately, there are bogus boards out there whose qualifications for membership are shoddy.  The board for a plastic surgeon is the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
• Find out about the surgeon’s professional experience by asking about his reputation, how many years he’s been in practice, and whether he’s had any medical malpractice suits. 
• Check into state medical board records to discover if there is a history of any complaints, etc. 
• Find out about the plastic surgeon’s breast experience and his/her clinical skills. How many breast procedures has he performed and over what period of time?   
• Look at before and after photographs and see if you can talk to present or former patients who have undergone this operation.

I hope this helps and thanks for your question.

Stephen A. Goldstein, MD