Good question, but not a good answer.

State license boards do not limit procedures to a license.  This means that anyone can call themselves a "Cosmetic Surgeon", even an oral surgeon or dentist.  You need to be educated as a consumer.  You need to seek out the most qualified doctor to take care of you specific needs.  You wouldn't have a neurosurgeon do your breast augmentation, just like you would not have your plastic surgeon do your brain surgery.  I may have done brain surgery during my residency, but that doesn't make me qualified.

You should always seek out a Plastic Surgeon, who is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.  They should also be a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.  Don't go to someone who claims to be board certified in Cosmetic Surgery.  There is no such recognized board.  Anyone with a medical license can send in some money and claim to be a board certified cosmetic surgeon without any training.

As a group, plastic surgeons have attempted to fight to limit dentist and other non qualified surgeons from performing plastic surgery.  This is ongoing and consumers need to protect themselves.

Ask questions, and if you don't like the answer, go somewhere else.

Unfortunately there some of these incidents every year. Our society has tried over the years to educate the public as well as lawmakers to prevent non-qualified surgeons/physicians from performing procedures they were not trained in. The best thing to do is ask important questions such as:

"Are you board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery?"

"Do you have plastic surgery privileges at a locally well respected hospital?"

Hopefully, some day there will be a law that forces everyone to indicate which board they are certified by and we will not read these stories anymore.

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