Hi Everybody.  The main purpose of our blog is to share information and educate our readers about Plastic Surgery.  Occasionally, I read something that I feel compelled to share with you.  I recently picked up a copy of Phoenix magazine.  It was the Best Doctors issue.  Among the doctors listed as plastic surgeons, two of these were not board-certified plastic surgeons.  This listing his supposedly voted upon by the physicians in the Valley.  I have been in Scottsdale since 1991 and have only received a ballot once.  I would hope that the general public would see this as a popularity contest and not a scientific way of ranking physicians.

 It is fairly confusing when an ad or web site says that a physician is board-certified.  It is very important for the patient or consumer to make sure that the person is board-certified in the specialty that you are interested in.  There is no board certification in cosmetic surgery, breast surgery or liposuction by the American Board of Medical Specialties.  Many people perform cosmetic surgery that are not plastic surgeons.  Some have had specific training such as facial plastic surgeons, ocular plastic surgeons some dermatologists others have done little more than take a weekend course.  One way of determining if a surgeon is board-certified is to ask them if they have hospital privileges to do the procedure you are interested in.  It is frustrating for those of us who went through the process of becoming board-certified plastic surgery to see someone a few blocks away who has very little or no surgical training doing cosmetic procedures.  I feel it is ours responsibility to educate our patients about how to choose a plastic surgeon.  Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about this topic.