The difference between a Plastic Surgeon and a Cosmetic or Aesthetic Surgeon 

 

Choosing a plastic surgeon to perform your chosen plastic surgery procedure is the most important decision you will make, to ensure the highest chance of an optimal outcome. A qualified and ethical plastic surgeon will not work in substandard facilities or without the full support of an anaesthetist and surgical team, when performing more complicated procedures. You may know someone who has already had the plastic surgery procedure you are considering and has had a good outcome. Please understand that this does not in any way guarantee you will also have a good outcome after the same procedure. The risks and complications associated to all procedures are just as likely to occur if the surgeon is not appropriately qualified and performing surgery in a reputable facility.

Plastic surgery can be legally performed by any qualified surgeon and in some countries, even doctors can legally perform plastic surgery. This means your cosmetic or aesthetic surgeon may have never had any speciality specific, plastic surgery training. Please note, in the UK within the NHS there are specialty surgeons who also perform plastic surgery. When your surgeon is not a plastic surgeon check what types of surgery they perform. There are some exceptions such as oncoplastic breast surgeons and ENT surgeons. If you are receiving surgery by an NHS consultant in specific specialties, check how many procedures they have performed and ask how many revision surgeries they have done in the past 2 years.

 

How to check a plastic surgeon

 

Do not trust a professional-looking website or impressive, before and after photographs of plastic surgery procedures. Anyone can have a professional website built and even surgeons with high rates of complications will have performed successful, plastic surgery procedures with a good outcome.

 

Questions to ask your plastic surgeon

 

• How many complications have you had over the past 2 years and did any of your patients require intensive care?
• How many patients needed revision surgery over past 2 years?
• What facility will my procedure take place in?
• How do you choose the anaesthetist you work with?

 

Risks and complications of all plastic surgery

 

Regardless of the plastic surgery procedure if you are having a surgery there are always possible risks and complications. This is why it is important to receive surgery in a reputable facility with an ethical, plastic surgeon.

 

General Anaesthetic – Risks and Complications

 

• Breathing difficulties due to infection.
• Deep vein thrombosis, (DVT’s), pulmonary emboli (PE’s).
• Allergy.

 

Deaths following a general anaesthetic are extremely unusual (healthy individuals risk with planned surgery is approximately 1 death per 100,000 general anaesthetics).

 

Minor risks and complications of all plastic surgery

 

• Bruising, swelling with tightness around excisions.
• Numbness or tingling due to nerve damage, normally temporary.
• Infection – may need in patient treatment with IV antibiotics.
• Hematoma’s or seroma’s – may need drains to help blood/fluid drain away quicker.

 

Long term risks and complications

 

• Poor wound healing leading to necrosis (death of skin cells).

• Keloid scars (dark and, or wide).

• Permanent numbness of skin, due to nerve damage.

• Unsatisfactory outcome from plastic surgery procedure.

 

Very rare risks and complications of all plastic surgery

 

• Myocardial infarction (heart attack).

• Pneumonia.

• Death.

 

My story

 

I have been extremely fortunate to be cared for by an ethical, caring, plastic surgeon. To achieve the size and shape breasts I wanted I have had 3 breast augmentations, going a little bigger every time. My cup size has increased from a 32 A to a 32 F and I am still very satisfied with my final outcome over 15 years later. I have had multiple rhinoplasty procedures to reshape the bone, remove a bump and create a ski slope and reduce the projection and overall size of my nose tip. To give me the flat stomach I had worked so hard for, after losing 48 pounds I also chose to have liposculpture.

I find it abhorrent that plastic surgery websites make millions from advertising packages by permitting self-verification of qualifications. I believe they partially shoulder the responsibility for the deaths of multiple individuals at the hands of surgeons who did not have the experience or qualifications to perform the plastic surgery procedure. One of the most well known plastic surgery websites that allow self-verification listed.

I urge you to check your surgeon’s qualifications and not believe what you read on a website or to be influenced by good before and after photographs. Take your time and if you are travelling abroad for surgery make sure you have a virtual consultation, prior to committing to having your chosen procedure.