Enhancements
Facial Plastic Surgery &
Laser Specialists
5201 William Penn Hwy.
Easton, PA 18045
Tel: 610.250.1933
Toll-free: 888.228.2424
Selecting Your Doctor
by Dr. Scott Sackman, Board Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon
It seems that every day, more and more Pennsylvania physicians are offering "Cosmetic Services". Some of these physicians have very little training or experience delivering these services. Some are Board Certified physicians whose Certification has nothing to do with Cosmetic Services. Some have no Board Certification at all. In our immediate vicinity there are Pediatricians, Internal Medicine Doctors, Family Doctors, Obstetricians, and Anesthesia Doctors who are offering "Cosmetic Services". You need to ask questions if you want to select the right doctor who can safely and effectively fulfill your needs:
1. Is the doctor Board Certified?
2. In what specialty is the doctor Certified?
3. Will the doctor actually perform your procedure?
4. How long has the doctor been performing the procedure?
5. Could the doctor perform the procedure at your local hospital if you asked?
(Confirms the doctor's qualifications to perform surgical procedures.)
6. Can the doctor show you his/her own photographs of patients they have treated?
(Some doctors show photos they have borrowed or bought!)
7. What are the potential complications of the procedure?
8. How are those complications treated, and by who?
You should be very satisfied with the doctor's answers to your questions before "signing-up" for any procedure. If not, you should go elsewhere.
There are numerous Organizations and Societies that doctors can belong to.
Sometimes all that is required for membership in an organization is the payment of a membership fee. Do your homework. Check on-line to see what the organization?s membership requirements are. Make sure that you are satisfied that the doctor has received thorough training from an actual AMA-accredited training facility.
It is important to note that the Board of Medical Specialties of the American Medical Association does not recognize "Aesthetic Physician" or "Laser Physician" as actual Medical Specialties, so be wary of doctors who use those titles. These are "imaginary specialties". Any doctor can use these titles. There is no Residency Training necessary or even available in order to receive these "imaginary" credentials. Some doctors are "certified" only by the manufacturer who sold them their equipment!
You should also be wary of any doctor who advertises a very low price for the procedure that you are looking for. There's always a reason that the cheapest place is the cheapest place. Buyer beware!!!
