Plastic Surgery Specialists

I can get a facelift from any plastic surgeon, you think, just like I can get a good burrito from a burger chain. Wrong. With HMOs, insurance companies and health care bureaucracies, it's more difficult to get approval to see a specialist, but if you need to repair a blocked artery, you don't go to a general practitioner--you change your diet and you go to a cardiologist.

If you want facial plastic surgery, when you're choosing a cosmetic surgeon, you'll have better results if you choose a cosmetic surgeon who specializes in facial plastic and cosmetic surgery. That's your plastic surgeon's expertise. While you can choose someone who juggles breast implants, butt lifts and blepharoplasty, there's something to be said for focus. Make sure that the board certified plastic surgeon you select has specialized training in the specific procedures you select.

Several surgeons, for example, say, "Facial surgery only." Check the plastic surgeon's education and training. Has she completed courses and training in facial plastic surgery, such as jaw surgery and rhinoplasty, not to mention face lifts? If she has, she's the surgeon for you. So while you're waiting to see that cardiologist because of eating one too many burritos from burger chains, skip through the plastic surgery directory to "facelifts" or "facial plastic surgery."