Tummy Tuck: Prices, Photos, Reviews, Info, Q&A

Most of us feel that certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery indicates the highest standard for the education, training and experience for cosmetic surgeons.

The other important credential is membership in the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. You should “google” these two organizations to learn more about them.

While other medical specialists do perform cosmetic surgery, they are not plastic surgeons unless they are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

I suggest you find a tummy tuck plastic surgeon who is board-certified, or board-eligible (meaning they are in the process of becoming board-certified) by the American Board of Plastic Surgery to perform your tummy tuck surgery. (Lewis Ladocsi, MD, FACS, Richmond Plastic Surgeon)

How important is it that my tummy tuck plastic surgeon is certified by the ABPS

A tummy tuck surgeon

This can be a very confusing area for patients. Let me help you with some basic information. First of all , the AMA is a political organization and has no relationship to implications of qualifications of a practitioner other than the fact that they are an MD. Case in point is that the AMA came out in favor of Obamacare without even asking it’s members, most of whom overwhelming do not support it. So, now, only 30% of board certified doctors are even members thus the AMA is irrelevant.

On the other hand, board certification by the ABPS does directly impute qualifications. It means that the tummy tuck plastic surgeon has met a certain set of high standards after training and should function at the level of a professional tummy tuck plastic surgeon. It does not mean that your doctor is highly experienced or even one of the best at any particular operation, but it does mean that certain minimum standards were met when their education was completed so it implies a high standard in regards to patient care and professionalism in your treatment. Now for the confusing part.

A tummy tuck plastic surgeon

Many alternative providers know the importance of the words “board certified” so they have created boards of their own which imply that a tummy tuck plastic surgeon is “board certified”, but it is not the ABPS. So, when you see the term “board certified” you should ask, “Certified in what?”. If it is not ABPS certification ,then then there are only two alternatives. Either (a) they did not pass their boards after their training, or, (b) they did not do the training in a plastic surgery approved residency program. Why would anyone want either of these to operate on them when the risk is disfigurement or even death? The two exceptions would be occuloplastics surgeons limited to eyes and facial plastic surgeons limited to face. In addition to the above, and making things even more confusing, there are even boards that allow a doctor to train in completely unrelated fields and then just do a one year “cosmetic surgery” rotation and then claim that because they were present for a lot of cosmetic procedures that this person is somehow qualified to do the full spectrum of cosmetic plastic surgery.

Tummy tuck plastic surgeon image

That is like going from an OB-gyn residency to spending one year on the heart service watching and doing a few types of procedures and then claiming to be a heart surgeon. The fundamentals were left out. I equate this entire situation to professional baseball. A lot of people can learn to swing a bat and say I am a baseball player , and they may even be successful at hitting the ball some, but very few can do it at a level where they are a true professional.

ABPS certification means you are playing in the big leagues in regard to plastic surgery. No matter what the cost, I would not ask an amateur or alternative type surgeon to do your surgery. They just stand a higher chance of striking out. In regards to cost you can find an ABPS certified surgeon outside of New York for much less. (Grady B. Core, MD, Birmingham Plastic Surgeon)

Board Certification and Professional Memberships

The tummy tuck plastic surgeon

In addition to Board Certification, membership in the American Society of Plastic Surgeons denotes qualifications achieved by examinations and case reviews, as well as endorsements by other board certified plastic surgeons for membership into ASPS.

A surgeon who also has membership in the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery has fulfilled surgical case experience requirements in cosmetic and aesthetic surgery and endorsements from current society members for membership in ASAPS. There are many such plastic surgeons in SE Michigan. (David N. Hing, MD, Ann Arbor Plastic Surgeon)

Tummy tuck plastic surgeon photo

Board Certification is the most important in determining the credentials of the plastic surgeon. You also have to mindful that they you know what the physician is board certified in. We have a lot of non-plastic surgeons who are board certified in other medical specialties (e.g. family practice, emergency medicine, etc.) who practice plastic surgery. This also become important because many hospitals require that physicians’ privileges for what they can do in a hospital setting is determined by their training and board certification. I.e. an emergency room physician cannot get privileges at a hospital to surgery in the operating room, so they are only able to do so in a private office setting.

Photo of tummy tuck plastic surgeon

Nor can they admit a patient to the hospital and follow them for a potential complication. So you are definitely taking on additional unknown risks. (Young R. Cho, MD, PhD, Houston Plastic Surgeon)

Board certification by the ABPS

I commend you on taking the time to research your doctor. It is very important to know what Board your surgeon is certified in. Board certification by the American Board of plastic Surgery is crucial if your surgeon is going to perform a plastic surgery procedure on you. Do not compromise on quality or lower your standards based on cost. You have not mentioned what procedure you are interested in. Seek more Plastic surgeons who are Board certified until you are convinced before you move forward. (Dana Khuthaila, MD, FACS, Norwalk Plastic Surgeon)

Board certification

The abdominoplasty plastic surgeon

I believe it to be very important. For a surgical procedure, you want to be very careful who you pick as correcting surgery not performed correctly the first time can be more costly for you, may require another procedure, and may not be able to be fully corrected. You do not list what procedure you are interested in, but NYC prices can be higher than other locations. I would suggest you look for someone board certified by the american board of plastic surgery, a member of the american society of plastic surgeons, and the american society of aesthetic plastic surgery. Take you time, and do your research. (Rick Rosen, MD)

Any physician who wants to pay dues can join the AMA; this is not a credential. Board certified plastic surgeons have completed about 7 years of residency and passed two excruciating exams-written and oral-including case presentations in multiple areas of plastic surgery.

Look for membership in the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the FACS-fellow of the American College of Surgeons-designation. I don’t know what procedure you are considering to be able to comment on whether the NY fee was appropriate or excessive. (Robert L. Kraft, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)