Should I trust an ENT to perform my facial plastic surgery? What training and qualifications are needed to become board cert?

It is wise to proceed very carefully before entrusting any surgeon with the health & appearance of your face.  There are many very well trained plastic surgeons who come from varied backgrounds. Certainly board certification by the ABFPRS or ABPS is an important indicator of standards the surgeon has met. It is important to feel comfortable with your surgeon and an adequate time in consultation with him/her is a vital beginning. There are no 'dumb' questions. Asking your surgeon to elaborate on their training is fine. Consulting with more than one surgeon can be helpful. 

Both plastic surgeons and otolaryngologists perform facial plastic surgery, and there are many surgeons from both specialties who do it well.  I would focus on your surgeons experience looking at before and after pictures,  reputation, and looking closely at their experience. 

25% of board certification in Otolaryngology is based on facial plastic surgery. The reality is that nobody operates more on the face and neck during residency than an Otolaryngology resident. The fact that your Surgeon completed a fellowship suggests a practice that is focused on facial plastic surgery. However the major point many people miss is that training is just the beginning of a Surgeon's development. If your Surgeon spends most of her time on General ENT, or if you were seeing a General Plastic Surgeon who devotes most of his/her time on breast and body surgery, you would probably be in the wrong place.   Overall, you should see the Surgeon you are most impressed by, but both Facial Plastic Surgeons and General Plastic Surgeons are qualified to perform a facelift based on their training. 

A facial plastic or a plastic surgeon are good choices for facial surgery.  Best to check the quality of their work and care before choosing your surgeon.

 The normal pathway to become board certified in Facial Plastic Surgery is to first become board certified in  Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery(ENT). This is usually a five-year residency program whereby the residents perform all  surgery on the head and neck. After that residency, a fellowship( one-year residency)is performed in facial plastic, cosmetic, and reconstructive surgery. Candidates then are able to become board-certified American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive surgery. Look for a surgeon  who has dedicated a significant component of the practice to the procedure  you are looking for, such as eyelid surgery or rhinoplasty. Look at their before and after photo gallery, which should be extensive. In addition look at their ratings, reviews, and testimonials specifically regarding the procedure you're interested in.

Hi Pretty5555,Otolaryngology board certification certifies a physician in several areas of his specialty (these are actually written on each certificate). These areas are:1. General Otolaryngology2. Pediatric Otolaryngology3. Rhinology and Allergy4. Otology5. Head and Neck Cancer6. Facial Plastic SurgeryEvery day for 4 years of residency program an Otolaryngologist is exposed and treats patients for facial plastic surgery. Not to diminish our general plastic surgery colleges, but general plastic surgery is only a fellowship of 2 years. Their initial 5 years in general surgery does not deal every day with plastic surgery and their board certification of general surgery does not describe plastic surgery as one of their areas of main training (or at least I have not seen it written in the certification).An Otolaryngologist that does a fellowship in facial plastic surgery does an extra one year fellowship in only facial plastic surgery and is able to become double board certified in facial plastic surgery. This means that this physician will have 5 years of facial plastic surgery as compared to a general plastic surgeon that will only have 2 years (mixed with body). Otolaryngology is the only other specialty authorized by the ABMS to claim that they are officially board certified to perform plastic surgery of the head and neck as the American Board of Plastic Surgery.So, in my humble opinion 5 years of training (Otolaryngology and facial plastic surgery fellowship) vs. 2 years (general plastic surgery) does sound better.There has been always an argument of the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) as that they are the only board certification that can claim to be able to perform plastic surgery of the body and face. This has always been a word game with the public. The ABPS is saying the truth that they are the only ones to be board certified by the ABMS to do plastic surgery of the body and face, but they (purposely or not) fail to mention in that campaign that there is another board that is certified by the ABMS to do plastic surgery of the face and neck, that board is Otolaryngology. Sadly this has always been the main area of argument of both specialties."This answer has been solicited without seeing this patient and cannot be held as true medical advice, used against any physician or as medical witness expert advise or court, but only opinion. This answer is for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. Seek in-person treatment with a trained medical professional for appropriate care."I hope to have cleared your concerns,Dr. Gus Diaz