Cosmetic Procedures

CHOOSE YOUR COSMETIC SURGEON AS YOU WOULD ANY OTHER HEALTHCARE PROVIDER

Understand the difference between cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery...

Cosmetic surgery is a subspecialty that uniquely restricts itself to the enhancement of appearance through surgical and medical techniques. It is specifically concerned with maintaining normal appearance, restoring it, or enhancing it toward some aesthetic ideal. Cosmetic surgery is a multi-disciplinary and comprehensive approach directed to all areas of the head, neck and body. Cosmetic surgery is practiced by surgeons from a variety of disciplines including board-certified dermatologists, general surgeons, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, ophthalmologists, otolaryngologists, plastic surgeons and physicians from other fields. All of these disciplines have contributed to the vital growth of cosmetic surgery. Cosmetic surgery is primarily learned during a surgeon’s post residency through ongoing continuing education, training and experience.

Unlike cosmetic surgery, plastic surgery deals with the repair, reconstruction or replacement of physical defects of form or function involving the skin, musculoskeletal system, craniomaxillofacial structure, hand extremities, breast and trunk and external genitalia. While board certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery may evidence a physician’s competence in "plastic surgery", it does not evidence competency in "cosmetic surgery" nor does it demonstrate more "cosmetic surgery" education, training or experience than that of a board-certified dermatologist, general surgeon, oral and maxillofacial surgeon, otolaryngologist, ophthalmologist or other surgeon.

Yet many board-certified plastic surgeons seek to equate the terms "plastic" and "cosmetic" in order to represent their certification in plastic surgery as evidence of their competency to perform "cosmetic" procedures. The spreading of this misconception reduces patient choice and jeopardizes patient safety. The "message" often repeated in various forums and published in advertisements by various board-certified plastic surgeons across the country falsely and deceptively informs consumers that:

• Certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery evidences competency in cosmetic surgery
• Physicians who are not certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery are not competent to perform cosmetic surgery
• The American Board of Plastic Surgery is the only "recognized" board with regard to the practice of cosmetic surgery
• The term "plastic surgery" is synonymous with "cosmetic surgery" or that the term "plastic surgeon" is synonymous with "cosmetic surgeon"

This misinformation has consumers believing that when searching for a cosmetic surgeon to perform cosmetic surgery, they must look only to the universe of Board Certified Plastic Surgeons and that they cannot find a competent cosmetic surgeon among board-certified dermatologists, general surgeons, obstetric/gynecologists, ophthalmologists, oral and maxillofacial, otolaryngologists or other surgeons.

This excerpt was taken from the brochure titled "Choose your Cosmetic Surgeon As You Would Choose Any Other Healthcare Provider" distributed by The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery.

For further information please feel free to visit The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery at www.cosmeticsurgery.org

Click on a link below to view a facial cosmetic procedure of interest.

• Blepharoplasty
• Brow Lift
• Chemical Peels
• Cosmetic Botox
• Face Lift
• Facial Implants
• Laser Skin Resurfacing
• Skin Rejuvenation
• Scar Revision
• Fat Transfer
• Liposuction
• Restylane
• Rhinoplasty/Septoplasty
• Otoplasty