Who is a “Cosmetic Surgeon”?

Once again another example of bad and unsafe cosmetic surgery presented itself in my office. We, as real plastic surgeons, are asked to “fix” other people’s mistakes and, as is the usual case, the patient and plastic surgeon are “behind the eight ball”. Results and life would be better if people were educated to seek consultation with a BOARD CERTIFIED PLASTIC SURGEON. This means a surgeon who has specifically trained in plastic surgery programs and has been tested (written and oral exams with presentation of their surgeries) and certified by the AMERICAN BOARD OF PLASTIC SURGERY. This is the only board recognized by the THE NATIONAL BOARD OF MEDICAL SPECIALISTS. Since the “cosmetic surgeon” scene is so confusing for the lay person, I recommend that the only question to ask that will get to the heart of the matter is: Is the surgeon certified by the AMERICAN BOARD OF PLASTIC SURGERY? This is a serious case of public safety not a matter of competition between equally qualified specialists, because they, in reality, are not on par.