Plastic surgery has exploded in popularity. It’s an in-demand and lucrative profession. With the popularity growing so fast there has been an increase of people and doctors claiming that they offer plastic surgery procedures and treatments at their clinic–but is it safe for anyone to perform plastic surgery?
Because a considerable percentage of plastic surgeons prefer to concentrate their practice on aesthetic surgery, the phrases “plastic surgery” and “cosmetic surgery” are sometimes used interchangeably. This, however, is not necessarily accurate. Cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery are closely linked fields of study, however they are not the same thing in practice. This means that some doctors who are considered certified may not be able to perform certain medical procedures that a board-certified plastic surgeon would.
In this blog, we’ve broken it down for you–find out which type of doctor can perform plastic surgery procedures and which is more beneficial for the results that you’re looking for.
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Not All Doctors Are Certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery
Not all doctors claiming to be plastic surgeons are board certified in plastic surgery, and any licensed physician has the legal right to refer to oneself or herself as a cosmetic surgeon under certain circumstances.
It is possible that some individuals are on track to get board certification in cosmetic surgery, but that they have not yet accrued the cases or practice hours required after completing plastic surgery training, which may take many years.
Many physicians are now in practice who identify themselves as “plastic surgeons,” despite the fact that they have not completed, and are unlikely to complete, a plastic surgery residency. Some may have completed their training but failed their examinations, while others may have had other reasons for failing to complete the criteria for board certification in plastic surgery.
It is perfectly legal for any physician with a valid medical license to practice plastic or cosmetic surgery. Legally, a pediatrician can perform your liposuction or BBL.
Physicians in the United States are normally licensed as “medical practitioners” by the State Medical Boards, which are independent regulatory bodies. It is not the responsibility of federal regulations to regulate the quality of speciality training or to mandate the treatments that a physician may aspire to do.
In practice, a medical school graduate with a medical license may lawfully claim to be a specialist in any field of medicine of his or her choice, whether or not he or she has completed resident training in that field.
The legal ramifications of this are that even a doctor who has only received training in another field, such as general surgery, can legally place breast implants, or that a dentist pediatrician can legally do the same.
Institutions such as hospitals on the other hand, will only issue specific privileges to doctors who have received the appropriate training. As a result, a hospital will only allow a plastic surgeon to do breast implants, just as it would only allow a neurosurgeon to conduct brain surgery.
Med Spas, Pediatricians, Dentists & Doctors That Provide Invasive Cosmetic Surgeries
Although some local med spas and dentistry clinics that provide cosmetic operations do in fact employ licensed board-certified practitioners who execute the procedures, others do not. In order to ensure that you are being operated on by a surgeon who has received special training in cosmetic or plastic surgery, it is best to inquire about the surgeon’s board certifications and then independently verify those certifications on the website of your state’s medical Board.
Vet your surgeon for certification by The American Board of Plastic Surgery.
If you’re in the market for certain plastic surgery procedures, making sure that your doctor is board-certified will ensure that you obtain exactly the results you want.
Different Doctors Need Different Types Of Training
Obtaining board certification as a cosmetic surgeon requires additional training, experience, and expertise as opposed to a doctor who is specializing in another medical field. This means that a dentist may claim to be a cosmetic surgeon but does not go through the same training and education as a board-certified plastic surgeon.
Each surgeon who is board certified by the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery has completed a one-year fellowship training program in cosmetic surgery, which is accredited by the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery and is focused only on cosmetic surgery.
A minimum of 300 individual cosmetic surgery procedures are performed during this fellowship, which provides surgeons with comprehensive training in all cosmetic surgery procedures of the face, breast, and body, as well as non-surgical cosmetic treatments.
It is highly crucial to do thorough research before selecting a cosmetic surgeon since any licensed physician may legally perform cosmetic surgery, regardless of how they acquired cosmetic surgery training. You must compare physicians’ total training, experience, and demonstrated competence in order to ensure that you get your desired results with minimal risk.
