Articles Provided by Dr. Roy Kim
San Francisco Plastic Surgery Articles

10 Ways to Rate a Top Plastic Surgeon
Roy Kim, M.D.

1. Are you a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon?

Plastic surgeons have surgical training exclusively upon graduation from medical school. Most have completed a general surgery residency, which is five years long and then a plastic surgery fellowship, which is 2-3 years long. In addition, many choose to pursue additional training in aesthetic, hand, microvascular, pediatric, craniofacial, breast, or other extremely specialized fields within plastic surgery.

Plastic surgery training encompasses both cosmetic and reconstructive procedures in all anatomic areas of the body, including the face, chest, arms, and legs.

Plastic surgeons should not be confused with facial plastic surgeons, oculoplastic surgeons, dermatologists, cosmetic surgeons, laser surgeons, or other labels.

Plastic surgeons are required to take rigorous and difficult written and oral board exams to become board-certified. The plastic surgery board (ABPS, or American Board of Plastic Surgery) is the only board currently recognized by the AMA (American Medical Association) and ABMS (American Board of Medical Specialties) relating to plastic surgery.

2. Do you have experience in the procedure I'm interested in?

You should choose a plastic surgeon with experience as it relates to the procedure you want. Being in practice for many years is no longer sufficient, as technology has increased the refinements and techniques in plastic surgery. You should seek out surgeons who have been trained in the latest techniques with the latest equipment.

3. Do you have an easy rapport with your plastic surgeon?

You should have confidence in your surgeon and his or her office staff. Also, you should be able to easily communicate with each other. With any surgical procedure there is a risk of complication. If one occurs, you must feel confident in your relationship with your plastic surgeon that you can overcome any temporary setbacks.

4. Where do you operate?

Your procedure may be done in a hospital operating room or in an off-site outpatient surgery center. Hospital operating rooms must meet rigorous federal, state and local regulations to be "certified."

Outpatient surgery centers, often in a doctor's office, must also pass many regulations to be certified. There are many accreditation organizations that certify operating rooms outside a hospital-these certificates should be displayed in the office.

In general, plastic surgeons have admitting privileges in local hospitals to perform plastic surgery procedures. This implies that the plastic surgeon has met federal, state and local licensing and training requirements before stepping into an operating room. Hospital rules are much more stringent than for outpatient surgicenters. Ask your surgeon if he or she is allowed to operate in a local hospital for a specified procedure. Also, the more complicating medical factors you have, such as asthma or high blood pressure, the more likely a hospital environment may be necessary for your overall health and safety.

5. Do you have excellent references and referrals?

Word of mouth or direct referral is the most common way to find an excellent plastic surgeon. You can ask your primary care physician for a referral, or your friends or family may be able to help you. Any friends who are nurses may be able to tell you about a specific surgeon's skill and demeanor in the operating room. Many plastic surgeons have websites or brochures that are informative as well. The more educated you are before your procedure, the more of an informed choice you can make before deciding what is best for you.

6. What professional organizations do you belong to?

Only physicians with plastic surgery training can join the ASPS/ American Society of Plastic Surgery. Many plastic surgeons maintain their education in aesthetic or cosmetic surgery and are members in the ASAPS/ American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

7. If it's too good to be true, it probably is.

If the language used in describing certain procedures is too good to be true, it probably is. Despite increasing advances in surgical techniques, anesthesia medications and post-op care, surgery is still surgery and requires time to fully recover from. Any surgical warranties, guarantees, or "instant" procedures will probably result in a disappointing long-term result.

8. Do you offer options?

There are often several reasonable and viable options to correct a given plastic surgery situation. For example, facelift options now include approaches utilizing just skin, using the body's own supporting structure under the skin (the facial SMAS layer), using the tissue along the facial bones, or several other possibilities or combinations of the above.

9. Do you feel that your plastic surgeon is accessible?

You should be able to communicate easily with your plastic surgeon as well as his or her staff. Difficulty in getting hold of someone to answer your questions before your surgery implies less than optimal communication after your operation. Also, if you are traveling for your operation, you should be aware that you will probably need to stay for several days longer after your procedure for post-operative care.

10. Do you have pre- and post-op photos?

Collections of photos from previous operations are often available at plastic surgeon's offices and offer a good opportunity to determine whether your ideal of what is aesthetically pleasing is the same as your surgeon's. However, you should realize that any photographs you will see are selected by the surgeon. It is doubtful that you are seeing every case the surgeon has ever done. Also, with newer techniques and technologies, no surgeon will have many photographs, since very few cases will exist.

In the end, I hope that these very informal and short guidelines will help you develop a bond with an excellent, trustworthy plastic surgeon.

Dr. Kim is a plastic surgeon in San Francisco. He is in private clinical practice and specializes in both aesthetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. Dr. Kim is a candidate member of both the ASPS and the ASAPS, as well as a member of the SFMS, CMA, and AMA. He enjoys playing the cello, rowing, hiking, painting and travel.