Houston Plastic Surgeon Reminds Patients to Ensure Their Surgeon is Board-Certified
Only board-certified plastic surgeons have received rigorous training to ensure they are capable of performing procedures for maximum safety and effectiveness.

HOUSTON, TX, August 14, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- According to statistics released by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, overall cosmetic procedures have grown by 147% since the society began tracking statistics in 1997. This growth has led many doctors to seek to add revenue from cosmetic procedures to their practice. With many less-qualified doctors performing plastic surgery, it is important for patients to seek a board-certified plastic surgeon, according to Dr. Leo Lapuerta of the Plastic Surgery Institute of Southeast Texas.

According to a study published in the Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, at least 40% of providers offering plastic surgery procedures like liposuction in the Los Angeles-San Diego megalopolis are not board-certified plastic surgeons, and it is likely that other metropolitan areas, like Houston, have similar rates. The number of non-certified surgeons performing plastic surgery procedures was underscored this June by the case of an Atlanta, Georgia woman who faced life-threatening complications during a breast augmentation performed by an ophthalmologist.

"Ask your surgeon if he or she is a board-certified plastic surgeon," says Dr. Lapuerta. "The board-certification process is very rigorous, and it helps doctors become better at performing plastic surgery procedures. Not only do we learn and practice how to get the best possible results for patients--we learn what to do in the rare case where complications arise."

You can check your doctor's certification with the Texas Medical Board. The Texas Medical Board considers all medical doctors legally qualified to perform medical procedures, including plastic surgery, but only board-certified plastic surgeons can call themselves "plastic surgeons." Other types of doctors often advertise that they are "cosmetic surgeons" and promote "cosmetic surgery" at their practice.

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