Plastic Surgery Society Launches Public Safety Campaign
Any physician can wear a white coat, but not all are board-certified in plastic surgery
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) is urging prospective plastic surgery patients to “Do Your Homework” when selecting a doctor. That’s the name of the Society’s new public safety campaign – recently unveiled at its annual meeting in Denver – that highlights the importance of proper training, board certification and facility accreditation in plastic surgery.
The “Do Your Homework” campaign was launched in response to a series of incidents involving serious complications when plastic surgery procedures were performed by non-board-certified plastic surgeons. In the United States, doctors can practice in any field once they get their medical license. And only four states – California, Texas, Florida and Louisiana – have laws that require medical providers to disclose specifics about their background.
Board Certification in Plastic Surgery
The new ASPS safety campaign advises cosmetic surgery patients to avoid medical providers who don’t have adequate training by making sure your doctor is Board Certified in Plastic Surgery by the American Board of Plastic Surgery or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Members of the ASPS must be board-certified plastic surgeons, which means they have undergone extensive training and passed a rigorous examination. This process ensures that these surgeons have the qualifications, training and experience to perform your plastic surgery procedure safely and effectively.
“If you are considering a plastic surgery procedure, it is critical that your doctor is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons,” said Dr. Malcolm Z. Roth, president of the ASPS. “This is the best way to be certain that he or she has completed the necessary training and meets certain standards to practice plastic surgery.”
Anyone who chooses plastic surgery is making a lasting investment in themselves that should be performed by a fully-qualified surgeon. Dr. William J. Hedden and Dr. J. Stephen Gunn at Hedden & Gunn Plastic Surgery are board-certified in plastic surgery and experienced in offering the latest procedures with a commitment to patient safety and satisfaction. Breast augmentation, liposuction and other surgeries are performed at the fully-accredited outpatient suite at our Alabama Cosmetic Surgery center near Birmingham and Hoover.
