Board Certification requirements to perform Tummy Tuck?

Most patients and physicians only recognize the American Board of Plastic Surgery when it comes to qualified surgeons for plastic surgery (ex. tummy tuck). If given the choice, I would strongly advise a surgeon trained and certified by a recognized board, which is the American Board of Plastic Surgery for any and all of your surgical needs.Best wishes,Dr.Bruno

In agreement with Drs. Singer, Hardesty, and Hughes, the American Board of Plastic Surgery is the only ABMS (American Board of Medical Specialties) recognized board to certify surgeons in the specialty of cosmetic surgery.  Cosmetic and reconstructive surgery are procedural categories both included in the specialty of Plastic Surgery.  There is no ABMS recognized board that certifies surgeons in cosmetic surgery alone.  As such, while any MD "can" perform an abdominoplasty legally, you should want a surgeon who holds him or herself to the highest standard for his or her own performance.  That would be a surgeon certified by the American board of Plastic Surgery.

Unfortunately, anyone with an M.D. degree can perform a tummy tuck in California.The
critical importance of the choice of the plastic surgeon who will perform your
aesthetic (cosmetic) surgical procedure cannot be overstated. The plastic
surgeon should as a minimum requirement be certified by the American Board of
Plastic Surgery (ABPS). Physicians in both the American Society for Plastic
Surgeons (ASPS) and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS)  are board certified in plastic surgery and are
capable of performing the procedure. However, if a member of my family planned
to have a cosmetic surgery I would want the surgeon to be a member of the
American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) because: Membership in ASAPS requires that the
plastic surgeon be board certified by ABPS for at least three years and have
performed a minimum number of aesthetic cases.Members must be invited to apply; they
cannot simply submit a check and become a member. There is additional screening
of members’ practice profiles and adherence to ethical guidelines.Before being eligible to be an ASAPS
member, the plastic surgeon must attend one ASAPS Aesthetic Meeting. The
Aesthetic Meeting is attended by board certified plastic surgeons only and is
regarded as the gold standard in aesthetic education.Many ASAPS members do some reconstructive
surgery such as breast reconstruction. However, the majority of their practices
focus is directed toward cosmetic procedures.As the leading organization for aesthetic
education, ASAPS members have access to the latest proven techniques and
procedures.ASAPS members must adhere to strict rules
concerning performing surgery in a surgical facility that is accredited by a
national accrediting organization like the American Association for
Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF) or a licensed hospital.
Safety should be and is always the main concern.



Any physician can self-identify as a
surgeon and as a cosmetic surgeon with little or no formal training in plastic surgery. Not everyone who calls themselves a plastic surgeon is Board Certified
by ABPS and not every board certified plastic surgeon meets the qualifications
to be a member of ASAPS. The Medical Board of California does not recognize any board with the word cosmetic in it as a legitimate board with equivalency to the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

It is crucial that you use extra
thoughtfulness in taking care of your body and your health. It makes sense to
see an ASAPS member, the surgeon with the most current knowledge and expertise
who specializes in aesthetics of the face, breast, and body.

Robert
Singer, MD FACS

La
Jolla, California