What is the best certification for the doctor to have for facelift surgery?

I agree with most other answers I've seen - a board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in cosmetic surgery of the face

Thank you for your question- as you can see, you have stepped into a political question that many surgeons have opinions on.I would view board certification as a minimum. In general, most recognize either the American Board of Facial Plastic Surgery or the American Board of Plastic Surgery as the most established and recognized in this area. Choice here depends on many factors. As a facial plastic surgeon, I do have a bias that we are more focused on our training and experience with cosmetic facial surgery. That said, you will find many excellent surgeons with other board certifications and training.My recommendation is to look for someone who has excellent experience with facial work with lots of before and afters and good reviews. Meet with several surgeons and find one that you most trust and mesh well with. If you do that, I am confident you will have a good experience and more importantly excellent results.

The American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, or ABFPRS, requires the most stringent guidelines AND experience of any other board. To be certified by the ABFPRS one must FIRST be certified by the ABPS OR the ABOto AND then pass a rigorous exam specializing in facial plastic surgery only. The applicant must also submit a case log of 100 FACIAL plastic procedures performed within 2 years of the exam to be certified. This means you have a surgeon with knowledge AND experience in the face. Many ABPS surgeons are excellent at body work but have little to no experience in facial cosmetic surgery, thus ABPS certification does not guarantee your surgeon has ever done a facelift. If he/she has ABFPRS certification they are truly committed to excellence in facial plastic surgery. Good luck!

This is the most strict, difficult board for a surgeon to obtain certification. It requires a full plastic surgery residency (3 to 6 years of plastic surgery training), followed by a written exam, then another separate oral exam where your cases (mine included facelift) are reviewed by plastic surgeon examiners. 

The two most common are the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ABFPRS) and American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS). Certification by one or the other necessarily make a surgeon qualified in facelifts. Many Plastic Surgeons do more body surgery than faces. ABFPRS surgeons concentrate on the face, but again make sure that your chosen surgeon does a lot of quality facelifts as a part of their practice and not just from taking a board certifying exam. 

These are two different boards.  Naturally if you ask one member about their board, they will say to seek only those who are on their board.  Physicians certified by the ABPS had a residency in plastic surgery which also includes reconstructive surgery on the body, hand surgery, burn surgery in their training.  They are trained in a wide variety of techniques for the whole body.  Some plastic surgeons might specialize in hand surgery; others might do primarily breast and body work, and facelifts can be but may not be their emphasis.  
Most facial plastic surgeons are certified by the ABO(Otolaryngology), and although not necessarily done so, spend an additional fellowship in facial cosmetic surgery, and go through the process of a second board, ABFPRS, which although not ABMS certified, has been ruled as an equivalent board by the medical board of many states.  It is true that some facial plastic surgeons, who are only ABO certified, may not have the extensive experience in facelifts.  It would be more likely that those who spent the additional fellowship training and additional ABFPRS certification would likely be more experienced.
As you can see, these are two different tracks. Board certification is the minimum starting point. After that, look at their practice emphasis, years in practice, results, and whether you trust them after meeting them.  These are all additional factors to be considered in addition to board certification.

See a board certified ASAPS plastic surgeon. Check out their results online on their website and elaewhere. Plasticsurgey.org hasovr 100 before and after examples of facelifts. You can find a qualified plastic surgeon there. Facial plastic surgery was included in my certification. The Vectra 3 dimensional imaging machine may help you visualize possible results. Good luck. 

Hello and thank you for your question.  This can be very confusing.  You will find many types of answers to your question and many of the answers will depend on the provider's background.  I recommend evaluating the individual surgeon's results rather than focusing too heavily on the background alone.   It is very important that you thoroughly research your surgeon before committing to surgery. It is a good idea to research your surgeon's educational background, board certification, online reviews, before & after pictures, and speak with anyone who you may know who has had surgery with that surgeon. During your consultation, make sure that you don't feel rushed and make sure that you have adequate time with your surgeon and not just their patient coordinator or nurses. If the majority of your consultation is spent with someone other than the surgeon, this is usually not a good sign. The most important aspect is to find a surgeon you are comfortable with.

Best wishes and good luck.


Richard G. Reish, M.D.  FACS

Harvard-trained plastic surgeon
 

Hello Shouldl, Thank you for your question and sharing your concerns.  I can understand why it is confusing. Plastic surgeons are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and are trained on all areas of the face and body.  Some may focus their practice more on certain procedures or areas of the body. Facial plastic surgeons are certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and their practice is generally focused exclusively on facial procedures.  Since you are looking for someone specifically trained in facelift surgery, a surgeon with either of these credentials who has significant experience in facelift procedures in particular is what you would be looking for.  Ask how many facelift procedures they have performed and if it is a focus of their practice.  Most importantly, find a surgeon that you are comfortable with.  I hope this is helpful.All my best!  Dr. Elizabeth

 ShouldI Hello Neighbor!  Thanks you for your question.  Board Certification in Plastic Surgery does not guarantee an excellent outcome. You are correct in your assumption that this does not mean specific training  on facelifts.  There are multiple excellent Facelift physicians that are Certified in Plastic surgery but there are just as many with other Board Certifications in other  specialties like Dermatology , Facial Plastics/ENT and Ophthalmology/ Ocular Plastics.    Board Certification is important but not the only criteria you should be researching. You should know:Their Experience With Performing FaceliftsExplore Their Before and After Galleries ( to make sure you are pleased with their results)If they perform the procedure in a Certified Operating Room With a Board Certified Anesthesiologist What Technique they are planning for you and the reason whyTheir availability to you should you need support after the procedureReview Carefully their patient testimonials for the specific procedureOther procedures they recommend to enhance your resultsWill they be performing the procedure or a Resident of Fellow ( if at a teaching institution)Good Luck.  Happy to meet with you in my West Bloomfield or Sterling Heights locations #DRB