Choosing a Surgeon for Breast Augmentation
Questions to Ask Your Plastic Surgeon:
- Are you board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS)?
- How many breast enhancement procedures have you performed?
- Am I a good candidate for breast augmentation?
- Where would my breast implant surgery be performed? Is the facility accredited?
- Who would administer the anesthesia (Ideally, an anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist)?
- Will there be monitoring devices and life-saving equipment on hand during my breast augmentation surgery?
Checking Your Plastic Surgeon’s Credentials
Before choosing a plastic surgeon, make sure he or she is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS). The ABPS has strict criteria for board certification. To become board certified in plastic surgery a doctor must graduate from an accredited medical school, and complete an approved residency in plastic and reconstructive surgery. He or she must also have been in practice for a minimum of two years before becoming eligible to sit for the exam, and pass both written and oral plastic surgery examinations. Board certification takes approximately 8 years after graduation from medical school. To find a board certified plastic surgeon near you, use our Plastic Surgeon Locator.
Contact the facility where your breast enlargement surgery will be performed and check your surgeon’s credentials.
Also contact your state medical board to make sure your plastic surgeon has a medical license, and to find out if any complaints or malpractice suits have been filed against him or her.