Why Board Certification is Important to NY Facial Plastic Surgery Patients

In recent posts, we’ve been talking about a disturbing trend in the field of cosmetic surgery in which unqualified physicians are offering and performing cosmetic surgery procedures without appropriate training or board certification.

The disturbing experience of a Folsom, California woman that was broadcast recently on News 10, ABC’s Sacramento, CA affiliate, should demonstrate to anyone who is considering plastic surgery the critical importance of selecting a NY facial plastic surgeon who is board certified in plastic surgery.

Lured by the cheap cost and convenience of an in-office procedure, the California woman underwent breast implant surgery that left her horribly scarred and disfigured. Devastated by the results and alarmed by post-operative bleeding, the woman consulted a board-certified plastic surgeon who told her that the “plastic surgeon” who performed her surgery was a gynecologist whose license had been revoked in Puerto Rico for performing illegal plastic surgeries. The woman required major reconstructive surgery to repair the damage to her body. (Click here to read the full story and watch the news clip.)

Current laws do not require doctors who offer plastic surgery to be board-certified in plastic surgery. Most hospitals do require affiliated physicians to be board-certified in their field of practice; but nothing prevents gynecologists or dermatologists or oral surgeons from performing cosmetic surgery procedures in their offices. Patients seeking facial cosmetic surgery must assume the responsibility for vetting the credentials of the plastic surgeon they select to perform their cosmetic surgery procedure. Choosing a facial plastic surgeon who is board certified in plastic surgery is the first step to ensuring successful cosmetic surgery results.

Dr. Edward Kwak is board certified in both facial plastic surgery and head and neck surgery.

Next time: What does board certification mean?

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