14 DAY TRIAL // Shopping for a plastic surgeon should be taken seriously, just as seriously as shopping for a new car or a new house, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons says in a new campaign. To illustrate just how important choosing a board-certified surgeon is, they’re using Dinora Rodriguez as an example.
As the video below will illustrate, Mrs. Rodriguez knows a thing or two about the importance of choosing the right plastic surgeon: and he must be board-certified.
She went to a surgeon recommended to her by a friend because she wanted her implants replaced; those she had were leaking.
When she woke up from the surgery, she realized she only had one breast and that the surgeon had also operated on her face, when she didn’t even ask him to.
Because he wasn’t board-certified, the unnamed surgeon didn’t know how to insert the implants correctly, so that they touched right in the middle of her chest.
Called symmastia or “uniboob,” the error can be – and was – corrected by another surgeon, with money obtained from the first in an out of court settlement.
The problem with Rodriguez’s eyes will never be fixed, though, she says.
The first surgeon wanted to cover a scar under one of her eyes and, in doing so, gave her a mini eye lift. It has left Rodriguez unable to close her eyes completely, which means she’ll have to use eyedrops for life.
“We want patients to understand what to ask their doctor and what to look for so that they can maximize their chance of a safe and successful procedure,” the ASPS says in a statement of the purpose of the latest campaign.
Because any doctor can say they’re surgeons, and consequently perform plastic surgery on patients, the best way to avoid unwanted mishaps is to look only for those that are board-certified.
“There is a misconception among consumers that as long as a doctor is certified in a medical field that he or she is qualified to practice plastic surgery. This is absolutely wrong and it is dangerous for patients,” the ASPS further notes.
“If you are considering a plastic surgery procedure it is critical that your doctor is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. 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,” the statement further notes.