The surgery should be performed in an accredited facility. Both ambulatory surgery centers are hospitals are accredited in NY. You should have a board certified anesthesiologist as well.
My preference is to perform these procedures in an ASC which is experienced in cosmetic surgery. In my area, very few plastic surgeons take cosmetic cases to the hospitals, which are extremely expensive with personnel who are not accustomed to the level of individualized care and attention I expect for my patients.
It is equally important to verify that your surgeon is board certified in plastic surgery and is experienced in abdominoplasty. (Robert L. Kraft, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)
Your safety during a Tummy Tuck is the most important. You need to choose a board certified plastic surgeon to perform your abdominoplasty and use an accredited facility.
If both options, hospital and surgery clinic, are available for your tummy tuck then you should select the location that you feel most comfortable with. (Michelle Zweifler, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)
Tummy Tuck at a Surgery Center or Hospital
Always choose a board-certified plastic surgeon to perform the procedure. If it is done at a Surgery Center, make absolutely certain that is accredited (which means it must adhere to a strict standard of safety and conduct) by an appropriate agency such as AAAASF,
The State Board of Medicine, AAAHC or an equally reputable organization. Be sure that your anesthesia provider is also board-certified. A Surgery Center is usually less expensive, more time-efficient and more discreet which can make for a wonderful experience.
Hospitals are fully accredited although may be a bit less time-efficient, more expensive and a bit more impersonal. Nonetheless, safety and an excellent cosmetic outcome are your primary goals! (Louis DeLuca, MD, Palm Beach Plastic Surgeon)
Trusting your doctor to make right decisions for you is the right way to go. Trying to be your own doctor is like a passenger telling pilot how to fly a plane. Find a reputable plastic surgeon. Develop trust and rapport. Let your doctor decide what is best for you. (Vasdev Rai, MD, Dallas Plastic Surgeon)
It is important today to have the surgery performed in an accredited institution. Both hospitals and surgery centers should be accredited. (Jay M. Pensler, MD, Chicago Plastic Surgeon)
Where to have tummy tuck surgery
When having surgery, the most important thing is to ensure that your surgeon in board certified in plastic surgery and your anesthesiologist in board certified in anesthesia and the hospital or facility has inspected and certified operative facilities. (David Shafer, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)
Best place to get a tummy tuck in a Hospital or Surgery Center?
As long as you are healthy, and the hospital and surgery center are both accredited, elective surgery should be safe in either setting. There are pro’s and con’s to both. Every member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery and American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery is required to maintain hospital privileges for all procedure performed in a surgery center.
While the vast majority of these procedure are not perfromed in a hospital, the requirement is made to be certain that your board certified plastic surgeon is maintaining some local peer review. Surery centers to tend provide more flexibility in scheduling, a higher “on time” rate and lower cost.
The hospitals can take care of more complicated problems, and maintaining those resources, seldom used in elective cases, is where the additional cost comes in. (Joseph Mele, MD, Walnut Creek Plastic Surgeon)
Choose an accredited surgery facility for tummy tuck
Whether hospital-based or office based, the top consideration is accreditation of the facility. This ensures that safety protocols are used. Surgeons certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery will only use properly accredited facilities so even more important than the facility is choosing a qualified plastic surgeon.
My preference is to use my own facility because I can control the patient’s experience more than in a hospital setting and it is more private. However, I would use the hospital for larger procedures that require close monitoring and your surgeon should have hospital priviledges for the specific operation. (Richard Baxter, MD, Seattle Plastic Surgeon)
Where to have a tummy tuck
Both are appropriate and the final decision may come down to cost, but be sure your plastic surgeon is board-certified, and the surgery center is accredited and the person providing anesthesia is certified. Outpatient surgery centers can be less expensive, often report lower infection rates and usually have quicker turnover times (less emergencies) – all good things for patients.
Surgery “clinic” is a little misleading – be sure you are going to a board-eligible or certified plastic surgeon’s office, and ask about the accreditation of the surgery suite, whether it is physically in his/her office or down the street! (Michelle Spring, MD, Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon)