There are many factors worth considering when choosing a liposuction surgeon to perform your procedure. While liposuction surgery is a relatively safe procedure, there are risks that cannot be eliminated completely. The best we can do is minimize the risks by going to a liposuction surgeon that is well trained, experienced, and practices with the safety of the patient at the forefront of their mind at all times.
Training and Certifications
The training background of a plastic surgeon is probably the easiest criteria to verify. The first thing you want to look for is a board certification in a surgical specialty. The surgeon should also have some medical emergency response training as well as additional training specific to liposuction.
Board Certification
The plastic surgeon that will be performing your procedure should at least have a board certification in a surgical specialty. The exact surgical specialty is not the most important factor since every surgeon would be trained in liposuction and related procedures. What is important is that they are able to pass their board examinations to achieve that certification and are knowledgeable about sterile surgical techniques. The surgeon would also be familiar with certain responses from a patient’s body.
Additional Certifications
It is important that the plastic surgeon is also prepared to handle any medical emergency that might arise at any point during the liposuction procedure. That is why the surgeon, and ideally the entire staff member in the operating room, should have a Certification in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS). This certification means that the holder is trained in proper medical response procedures in the event of an emergency cardiac arrest which can mean the difference between life and death of the patient and is especially critical in procedures that require general anesthesia.
Liposuction Specific Training
There are also accredited training programs specific to liposuction that any plastic surgeon performing liposuction surgery should complete. These trainings contain both classroom lecture and hands on practice in an operating room. It provides the plastic surgeon very detailed knowledge of just about every aspect of the procedure including potential complications, various techniques and types of liposuction, using and combing prescription drugs and other post surgical care.
Experience
For every liposuction surgeon that have gone through the rigorous training and acquired the proper certifications, it is their experience that will set apart the best from the others. There are many types of cosmetic surgeries and most surgeons will focus on a handful in which they become experts. You will want a liposuction surgeon that has performed many procedures in the recent past over someone who is focused on a different cosmetic surgery and performs liposuction treatment infrequently.
Any surgeon would keep a portfolio of their past patients which they can show to prospective future patients. Looking through this portfolio will give you an idea of what type of results to expect as well as the volume of procedures this plastic surgeon has performed.
It is a good idea to keep in mind that the number of past liposuction patients treated is more important than the number of procedures. A surgeon can claim to have performed one hundred procedures if they treated 25 patients each in four different areas. This is a less ideal surgeon to go to than one who has performed one hundred procedures on one hundred different patients.
Another experience factor to keep in mind is how frequently the surgeon performs liposuction and how recently those treatments occurred. A surgeon that completed one hundred procedures over the course of their ten year practice is less desirable than a surgeon that has performed two liposuction procedures per week in the past year.
Reputation
A liposuction surgeon’s reputation can mean a lot for both the surgeon and the patient and is a result of their cumulative results throughout the duration of their professional life. Most plastic surgeons do have a list of past patients who agree to act as references which you can contact to talk about their experience with this particular surgeon. Another way to verify the surgeon’s reputation is by talking to other physicians and medical professionals in the industry in your area. Anyone that has been in the same industry long enough should at least know something about the reputation of the surgeon in question or should know someone that does.
Intangibles
Liposuction is as much as art as it is a science and the term is sometimes used interchangeably with liposculpture, a term that literally means sculpting fat. The quality of the results will depend on the skillful hands of the liposuction surgeon. While the surgeon’s artistic ability can improve with experience, as with any artistic ability, some people seem to naturally develop more acute skills than others.
Beyond the art, there are other aspects to consider when selecting a liposuction surgeon that cannot be quantified with certifications and the number of procedures performed. For a maximum safety, it is important that the plastic surgeon practices with a safety first mentality where the well being of the patient is the only thing that truly matters. A surgeon that maintains their own integrity and strict ethical code of conduct will provide greater chances of success than one that is primarily concerned about protecting their reputation.
Safety Consciousness
Despite being somewhat of a grey area, there are some clear indicators that provide a glimpse into the safety psyche of the plastic surgeon. These are things like the amount of fat a liposuction surgeon is willing to remove in a single session and how they manage large procedures that require multiple treatment sessions.
While there is disagreement over what the exact amount of fat can be removed safely, the Medical Board of California made the decision to set the daily limit to 5 liters of aspirate per day. This means no more than a total of 5 liters of fatty substance and fluid should be removed per day. Any procedure requiring more fat to be removed will need to be scheduled for another session. Some surgeons set their own limits to 4 liters or less per day for extra precaution and that is the type of mentality that will go a long way in protecting the well being of the patient.
Liposuction surgery can be stressful for the patient’s body which is why it will require ample rest for a full recovery. This also means that a surgeon should avoid excessive treatments related or unrelated and any additional surgical procedures should never be performed in a single day. Large liposuction procedures should be scheduled at least a month apart to allow the body to heal properly in between treatments.
Integrity, Humility and Ethical Standards
Some surgeons seem to revere their own reputation as a priority over the well being of the patient and that can have very dangerous consequences. This can come in the form of a surgeon trying to do too much in a short period of time or engaging in other risky practices to establish a name for his or herself or it can be a surgeon that will delay submitting a patient to a hospital when signs of a complication arise during the liposuction procedure.
A good surgeon will know the difference between reliable liposuction techniques and fads. They will also be able to determine which methods are appropriate for the patients’ goals. While characteristics like integrity and humility cannot be taught or measured in numbers, these are qualities that help insure the patient against unnecessary risks. In the end, it is a the plastic surgeon that is the professional and expert in the subject of cosmetic surgery which is why the patient will need the advice and recommendations provided by a board certified plastic surgeon.