How to choose your PLASTIC SURGEON?

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3 min

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Hardik Ganatra

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How to choose your PLASTIC SURGEON?

Tough when there are so many hoardings you come across while driving to the mall or the hotel. Not easy when so many pop up when you google “liposuction in Dubai”.
Your struggle is real indeed when google/social media algorithms keep relentlessly suggesting you a plethora of doctors/clinics.
Plastic surgery (a cosmetic surgery to be more precise) is a surgery of choice. You want to make sure it’s done at the right time, right place and by the right person!
I am Dr. Hardik Ganatra, a board certified plastic surgeon practicing for 8 years. I have had a few surgeries on myself, so the views in the blog are my own based on my experience of finding the right doctor for myself.

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Qualification (Board certification) :

The importance of certification can not be underrated with so many non plastic surgeons and even non surgeons practicing plastic surgery. (Scary right?)
Plastic surgery is a 3 year course either done as a stand-alone course (like how I did it for myself) after 3 years of general surgery course OR as an integrated course with general surgery (as a 6 years course). This either gives the surgeons a qualification of MD (physician) or MCh. (Master of chirurgiae) or DNB (Diplomate of National Board). Other qualifications (FRCS, FRACS,etc.) can also easily be googled to get more information. These are an addition to the basic degree qualification as mentioned before.

Pointers: It’s a good idea to check your surgeon’s qualification before meeting him. A thorough research (use google, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, etc.) is vital to establish a certain level of confidence in your surgeon.

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Operating facility

Besides surgeon (who is doing it), the venue of surgery (where is it being done) is very important. Check the accreditation of the facility. Accreditations could be American, Canadian, Australian (country based). One of the largest organization of accreditation is the Joint Commission International (American).
This check is to ensure both ‘safety’ and ‘comfort’.
Accredited facilities have stringent protocols for safety and are more accountable for health hazards to patient, in or out of the theatre.
Also with safety comes comfort as an added benefit where the patients are given a certain level of care as a part of protocol.

Pointers: Google the facility that your surgeon operates in and do your research. Call the hospital or visit the hospital if need be to ensure you are getting it done at the best possible setup.

Qualities of a good surgeon

A good listener: Your surgeon should be your friend. He needs to patiently listen to what you want, why you want it and how you want it. The surgeon might be very skilled but if he doesn’t understand your expectations, you might end up not getting what you exactly wanted.
A good human being: Your surgeon should be honest, have good bedside manners during examination and consultation and should be kind and compassionate. We are all humans and we all have our own insecurities. Its not wrong to want to get something done to feel happy.
A good educator: Your surgeon should educate/inform you about the procedure in detail right from his opinion about the problem, the treatment plan, alternative options, risks of the procedure. The surgeon must be totally transparent about the limitations of the procedure (what can he/she not achieve with the treatment plan).
Non-commercial: A surgeon or the clinic that tries to push the patient for a procedure is a red flag for a patient. Cosmetic procedures are expensive and best done after giving a lot of thought to it and weighing the pros and cons of the procedure. The surgeon should emphasize on the risk-benefit ratio to help the patient make a sensible choice. The patient after the consult should decide based on the cost-benefit ratio which is a very personal factor.
Safe surgeon: You would be better off with a cautious surgeon who would not compromise on your safety during your surgical journey. Remember, safety is an underrated factor in cosmetic surgery. A surgeon is not good enough if the patient has great results but is unsafe and goes through a miserable post-operative course.
Results: Results speak for the surgeon. Choose a surgeon who not only talks the talk, but also walks the walk. Feel free to ask your surgeon for before-afters of the procedure that you intend to get done. An experienced surgeon would always have a series of photos operated for different set of problems.
Follow ups: Follow ups are as important as the surgery itself to get the best results. Everybody heals differently and its important that the surgeon stays in touch with you till you are happy. This can be upto 3-6 months and sometimes even longer. Choosing travelling (visiting) surgeons can be difficult unless the surgeons visit frequently or have someone else take the liability of the post-operative care as per his protocols.

Cost (expense)

A good surgeon would always come at an expense. Cosmetic surgeries are a luxury just like a Porsche or a Louis Vuitton bag is. A good surgeon inevitably means a well trained surgeon, a good facility, good care and comfort and long follow ups. All of that comes at a certain price which a doctor and a facility expects in return to the services provided. Affordability is a personal factor which a patient needs to consider before selecting a surgeon.

Patient feedback / Testimonials

The clinic’s website/social media account, the doctor’s website/social media account and portals like “google” and “realself” are good places to look for patient feedbacks for your surgeon. Choosing a surgeon through a reference or a recommendation is probably the safest bet.
Choosing the right surgeon is the most important criteria in having great, long lasting results. Cosmetic surgeries are best done once in the right hands. Revision surgeries or corrections become difficult and unpredictable even in the best of the hands.