Can a doctor who specializes in a field other than plastic surgery be allowed to perform surgery?

I strongly urge you against having plastic surgery procedures with a doctor who is not a board certified plastic surgeon. There is a reason surgeons have to go through so much training and become board certified in order to perform plastic surgery procedures. Going to an uncertified doctor just because he offered you a good price is not worth the potential risks. Please find a board certified plastic surgeon in your area to consult with and have surgery with. I promise you it is worth it to spend a little more money to be in the hands of a qualified expert.

Certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgeons ensures:- completion and approval of a prescribed set of education and training requirements in a specialty of medicine beyond the minimum requirements for medical licensure-passage of examinations that test the fund of knowledge in that specialty.The training referred to above includes the completion of at least six years of surgical training following medical school with a minimum of three years of plastic surgery residency training.Price should never be a primary motivator when considering a surgeon for elective cosmetic procedures.Always, discuss with a board certified plastic surgeon. The increased cost is far outweighed by the additional experience and overall safety that comes with a certified surgeon operating in a certified facility.

Your question raises a lot of interesting points.  Without getting too technical here, a licensed physician can legally do just about anything, depending on the state.  This is limited only by what a hospital or surgery center will credential for.  In the Office Surgery area (outside a hospital or ASC), things are different.  Many times, states have been slow to catch up to close some of these loopholes that allow someone to perform procedures far outside their area of training. A hospital will never credential a non-surgeon to perform surgery, though even there, gray areas exist.In general if you are questioning someone's background and scratching your head if they should be working on you, definitely take a step back and make sure the person is qualified and capable.  This is especially important when the procedure you want is far outside someone's background training.  Good luck!