At some point in your life, you have probably seen or heard about bad plastic surgery. Bad plastic surgery is very frequently in the news, and because plastic surgery is a lucrative business, many surgeons (or even non-surgeons!) without the necessary qualifications try to venture into the field. But bad plastic surgery can leave more scars, cause infections, complications or even death, and most often does not provide the desired result. You can avoid becoming a victim of bad plastic surgery by carefully researching the doctors you are seeing for a consultation. Make sure to do your homework!
Dr. Brian S. Glatt, MD, says there are 7 questions that you should ask your plastic surgeon prior to proceeding with any treatment or procedure:
1) Is the plastic surgeon board certified with the American Board of Plastic Surgery and an active member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS)?
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Be alert!!! There are many doctors out there who are board certified in something similar (“facial plastic surgery” or “cosmetic surgery”) or even claim to be double or triple board certified in these. But only a doctor, like Brian S. Glatt, MD, who is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery has met the rigorous qualifications required to be a board certified plastic surgeon. The ABPS is the only one of the 24 boards approved by the American Board of Medical Specialties that certifies physicians in plastic surgery of the face and all areas of the body.
A call to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons or ASPS at 1-888-4-PLASTIC (1-888-475-2784) can quickly tell you which doctors are legitimate plastic surgeons with outstanding qualifications. You can also visit the ASPS web site at www.plasticsurgery.org.
2) Has the surgeon performed the surgery on previous occasions? If so, how many times?
-You want to make sure that your doctor has experience performing the procedure that you desire more than just a few times. An experienced plastic surgeon probably won’t be able to give you an exact number of times he has performed the particular procedure, but should be able to give you a rough estimate. For example, Dr. Brian S. Glatt has performed hundreds of cosmetic breast augmentations, breast reductions, breast reconstructions, nasal operations (rhinoplasty), eyelid, and facial rejuvination surgeries as well as liposuction, tummy tucks and mommy makeovers in the past year alone. In addition, Dr. Glatt has performed thousands of minor cosmetic procedures such as botox, juvederm, radiesse, restylane, sculptra and laser procedures over the course of his career.
3) Assuming the surgeon has done the surgery before, do they have before and after photos?
-A plastic surgeon should not hesitate to show you photos of patients before and after their cosmetic procedures. In addition to the photos on Dr. Brian Glatt’s website, you can see many more in Dr. Glatt’s office at the Premier Plastic Surgery Center of New Jersey.
- 4) What are the possible results from the surgery?
-It is very important that your plastic surgeon gives you realistic expectations as to what can and can’t be done. Be wary of any surgeon who leads you to believe that you will go in for surgery and come out as a model. That is an unrealistic expectation to have and you will most likely come out disappointed and angry (unless you are already a model!). Dr. Glatt spends a great deal of time with each of his patients discussing what they can expect from their surgery. Most often, his patients are extremely happy and excited about their results, gain a renewed sense of confidence, and end up referring their family and friends!
5) What are the possible side effects or complications from the surgery?
-Even surgery performed by a board certified plastic surgeon is not without risks. It is important that your plastic surgeon is honest with you about the possible side effects or complications that go along with the procedure that you are seeking.
6) Where will the surgery be performed and does the surgeon have privileges at a hospital to perform the same type of surgery?
-Dr. Brian S. Glatt has privileges at Morristown Memorial Hospital, located in Morristown, New Jersey as well as St. Barnabas Medical Center located in Livingston, New Jersey. Dr. Glatt also performs procedures at outpatient surgical centers located in Livingston, Short Hills and Florham Park, New Jersey.
7) Will the surgeon actually perform the entire surgery?
-Make sure to ask whether the surgeon you are consulting with will actually perform your entire procedure and that it will not be the surgeon’s partner or underling performing your surgery. Some surgeons also delegate portions of a patient’s surgery to residents. Dr. Brian S. Glatt performs all his cosmetic surgical procedures in their entirety.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, please contact use by filling out a contact form at the left of the page or by calling Dr. Glatt at the Premier Plastic Surgery Center of New Jersey today!