Choosing a Surgeon procedure can often be a long and difficult one

The process of choosing the correct surgeon for a cosmetic or plastic surgery procedure can often be a long and difficult one. There is no shortage of qualified doctors in almost every field of cosmetic surgery, yet there are also less scrupulous and less qualified individuals who are also competing for your business. Just because a doctor is offering a lower rate for services does not necessarily mean that he or she has less experience or is less skilled as a surgeon. However, an extraordinarily below market price for a particular procedure should be a warning sign to research the background of the physician extensively, setting up contact with previous patients whenever possible.

Of course, certain factors, such as geographic location, availability, and cost, are always going to be major influences on your decision to go with one surgeon over another. Yet, some of the others that should be given equal consideration are the facilities out of which the doctor is operating. Is the doctor affiliated with an accredited hospital? and if so, which one(s)? Will your procedure be performed in a hospital or ambulatory care center or will the surgery take place in the office of the doctor? These are all important and legitimate questions, which are often overlooked when cost considerations and techniques become the focus of the discussions.

It is always a good idea to focus on the individual patients that your prospective surgeon has handled in the past -- not simply before and after photographs. Ask about the entire procedure, from initial consultation through follow-up appointments. Cosmetic surgery is an especially sensitive area of surgical practice and often requires a higher level of patient care and re-assurance, since all of the work of the doctor is going to be readily visible on the body of the patient - permanently.