Due to differences in economy, the cost of plastic surgery is variable in every country. There are many variables involved in the pricing of plastic surgery procedures. These include country, surgeon expertise, and the difficulty of the procedure. Other factors considered are anesthesia cost, operating room expenses, and pre-operative work-ups. Compared to the United States and Europe, the price of cosmetic surgery in the Philippines is around 50% cheaper than prevailing US rates. Even so, when choosing a plastic surgeon, remember that the surgeon’s qualifications and experience as well as your comfort with him or her are just as important as the final cost of the surgery

You’re surgeon should be well informed of current trends in plastic surgery and should be willing to answer all your queries. Beware of the surgeon who insists on his way and is intolerant of your questions. Asking these questions is the best way to get to know your surgeon. It gives the patient the opportunity to learn about their surgeon’s qualifications, experience, and demeanor. Your questions let them know you’ve done your homework, want to be educated about your procedure, and will be an active partner throughout the process.

Not all surgeries are performed in accredited facilities. Some practitioners perform plastic surgery procedures in nonaccredited facilities. Making sure that your procedure can be performed in an accredited facility will significantly reduce safety risks and increase your comfort level. Case and point. There is an exodus of patients to Mexico to undergo cosmetic surgeries due to the cheaper cost. Always make sure that the surgical facility you are entering is duly accredited.

The practice of plastic surgery is not limited to reconstructive surgery alone. The field of plastic surgery encompasses both cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. Plastic Surgeons are trained, experienced, and qualified to perform both cosmetic and reconstructive procedures on the face and all areas of the body.

In November 2006, the FDA reversed its 14-year ban on silicone breast implants, allowing patients in the United States access to the same implants that women in 60 countries around the world already have. This has ended the era of banned silicone implants. Now patients have a choice on whether they would like to have silicone or saline implants.

Plastic surgery is for everyone. Unlike before when only the upper class could avail of the services plastic surgeons had to offer. This decade has shown tremendous advancement in the field of plastic surgery and has been made more affordable to everyone. From an ASPS artcle using the United States as standard: a 2005 study found that almost 60 percent of people who had recently had plastic surgery or were seriously considering plastic surgery had a household income of $30,000-$90,000 a year. In fact, 40 percent of that 60 percent reported an annual income of $60,000 or less. Just 10 percent of respondents reported a household income of more than $90,000. Plastic surgery is a booming industry. Countries such as the Philippines offer plastic surgery done by qualified Plastic Surgeons at a lower cost compared to the United States and Europe.

Not all board certifications are the same. Any group of medical professionals can create its own “certification” board. Philippine Plastic Surgeons are certified only by the Philippine Board of Plastic Surgery – a group which oversees credentialing in plastic and reconstructive surgery. Their certification requires passing rigorous oral and written exams. The same holds true for other countries. Plastic surgeons need at least 6 years of training after medical school. The patient should be inquisitive. Find out about the board certifications in the specific locality.

The practice of plastic surgery can be an enjoyable experience for the patient. Take time to find out and learn more about your surgeon. Be inquisitive!

Author: Joel Unson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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1. Availability of Financing for Cosmetic Surgery – In the old days, no financial company would loan money without collateral, especially if it was for cosmetic surgery. Now, some of the major financial institutions are marketing primarily to the plastic surgery crowd. They realize that those with a steady income can make payments for cosmetic surgery, just as if they were making it for a new car. In fact, some loan companies are becoming even more creative. They are willing to give patients a cosmetic surgery home equity loan, with the payments added to patient’s monthly mortgage payment.

2. Cost of Cosmetic Surgery – Whether it is because the relative cost of cosmetic surgery procedures has come down or that the price of most other things have gone up, the prices of plastic surgery procedures are now within people’s spending budget.

3. Plastic Surgeons Offer Financing – While it used to be that one had to pay cash for plastic surgery, now plastic surgeons accept credit card payments, financing, or even offer cosmetic surgery savings plans.

Most people have a false perception of what cosmetic surgery costs. In fact, most think that they could never afford plastic surgery. Once they realize that getting the body that they always wanted is no more expensive that buying a used car, they are eager to change their life for the better.

Hidden Costs of Plastic Surgery
The American Society of Plastic Surgery (ASPS) publishes annual statistics on the cost of different plastic surgery procedures, which are stratified to the region of a specific country. Although this is an approximate price that plastic surgeons charge to perform such procedures, the total cost could widely vary, depending on the cost of the operating room facility, anesthesia, follow-up care, and necessary equipment or garments. Don’t be fooled by the seemingly amazing prices that you might see published in throw-away magazines, or from the ads you hear on the radio or watch on TV. They might not have included the overall price.

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For example, some competitive national chains that are owned and operated by non-plastic surgeons offer ridiculously low prices, with a small footnote that the cost of anesthesia or operating room fees are extra. Others might advertise attractive prices that fail to mention that your anesthesia is going to be provided by a nurse and not a board certified anesthesiologist. Others even advertise “board certified cosmetic surgeons,” when only later you find that your surgeon is a dentist, gynecologist, or even a general practitioner and does not hold board certification in plastic surgery. Please know that there is only one accredited and nationally accepted board of plastic surgery. The so-called “Academy of Cosmetic Surgery” is a non-accredited corporation that offers certificates to any doctor that takes their weekend courses…So don’t bargain with your life!

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Any surgery is a serious endeavor that has costs associated with it, due to the basic expenses of an accredited surgical facility and board certified staff. While it doesn’t hurt to get a good price, it is not worth possibly compromising your well-being and health for the sake of the cheapest price.

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The average total price for some of the common plastic surgery procedures including fees for the plastic surgeon, anesthesiologist, surgery center, implants (if indicated) and follow-up care is noted below. These do not included the cost of pre-operative testing (blood test & EKG), special equipment, implants, garments, or specialty aftercare, and if necessary, the cost of revisions.

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Cost of Plastic Surgery Procedures:

Body Contouring

Liposuction of the abdomen and flanks

$ 5,500-10,000

Liposuction of arms and outer chests

$ 4,500-7,500

Liposuction of thighs (complete)

$ 6,000-12,000

Liposuction of neck & face

$ 2,800-5,000

Liposuction of calves $ 4,500- 7,500

Tummy Tuck (abdominoplasty)

$ 7,500-15,000

Lower Body Lift $ 15,000-25,000

Upper Body Lift $ 10,000-20,000

Arm Tuck (brachioplasty) $ 6,800-14,000

Thigh Lift $ 9,500-16,000

Calf Augmentation $ 6,000-10,000

Author: Sean Younai
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Criteria to Consider in Choosing A Surgeon

We all look for certain factors in our search for a doctor who is going to suit us. The doctor’s charges, experience, post-surgery services and location are important aspects but there is one consideration that is even more important than these: choose a board certified plastic surgeon.

Significance of a Certified Plastic Surgeon

Well, this refers to a surgeon who meets and upholds high professional, educational and ethical levels that are set by a self-regulating authorized body. Of course, there are various other organizations that grant certifications to plastic surgeons. But not all of them have the same measurement criteria.

This is where your research comes in handy. You have to find out what are the norms that certify these plastic surgeons. The most well-known organization is the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, also known as the ASPS. The ASPS requires their members to undertake board medical training, to qualify through a rigid examination, and to become re-certified on a regular basis.

While it is true that having cosmetic surgery done gives you no guarantee, the preference of a certified plastic surgeon can boost your odds of having a safe and sound procedure. Besides meeting the tough guidelines, a majority of board certified plastic surgeons are specialists in specific areas like facial procedures, breast augmentation, or reconstructive surgery.

A specialized plastic surgeon has the benefit of acquiring irreplaceable practical experience, knowledge and judgment and will be in a position to tackle any problems or concerns you may have before the operation. Moreover, a specialized practitioners more likely to have a better idea of what will suit your particular needs, than a general plastic surgeon.

The final outcome is that all surgical procedures, including cosmetic surgery, do come with risks, which you will do well to consider carefully before proceeding. But your anxiety will be reduced to a great extent when you know that your surgery is been performed by a board certified plastic surgeon.

Summary:

It is of utmost importance that you opt for a board certified plastic surgeon when planning for plastic surgery. Board certified plastic surgeons are members of self ruling authorized bodies like the ASPS practitioners have to undergo rigorous ethical and educational standards and mostly they are experienced specialists in their area. When you get your operation done by a board certified plastic surgeon you know you are in safe hands.

1) Do make sure your plastic surgeon is Board Certified in Plastic surgery by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Unfortunately, there are many physicians who might advertise or promote themselves as Board Certified but they don’t necessarily mention what they are specifically Board Certified in. (These are not the doctors you should be going to for Cosmetic Surgery!) In addition, The American Board of Plastic Surgery is the most respective, definitive and legimate certifying body of plastic surgeons in the U.S. Beware of “sound-alike” imitations such as Board Certified “Cosmetic Surgeon”. Only the most qualified plastic surgeons have earned the right to call themselves Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and would not use such a designation.

2) Don’t enlist the services of a physician who does not have operating room or admitting privileges at a local accredited hospital as a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. If the physician you are contemplating seeing doesn’t have these privileges, it means the hospital or surgi-centers in his area don’t recognize his qualifications as being good enough to be on their staff. The Plastic Surgeon you want will have proper qualifications and have these privileges.

3) Do ask to see before and after photos of the doctors’ work on other patients. A busy and popular Plastic Surgeon will probably have before and after photos very similar to yourself. Even better: A patient that has had this procedure within the past year or so that might be willing to talk to you about their experience. Computer simulations are great but they are just “simulations”. Before and after photos will show you what the doctor has actually accomplished for other patients.

4) Do get a second opinion consultation. Different doctors have different styles and sometimes different approaches to the same problems. You should make sure you have a nice comfort level with the plans and options that have been reviewed with you. More importantly, you should have a comfort level and confidence in the doctor and his staff.

5) Don’t make a decision solely on the basis of price. It may sound trite but this will only get you into trouble. Qualified surgeons will all have prices in a very similar range and will generally be very fair in making sure their charges reasonably reflect the amount of work you are considering having done. Beware of the pricing that seems like a bargain – you may want to recheck those credentials on this one.

6) Do ask what facility your doctor will perform your surgery in. The safest and most reliable surgicenters will be high quality, accredited and state licensed facilities. These facilities have the best equipment, the most qualified staff and nurses and the appropriate systems and equipment to deal with potential emergencies.

7) Do ask your doctor about estimated recovery times and restrictions with respect to your particular procedure. If you do not have the ability to organize your business and social or familial obligations or might not be able to limit your physical activities as your doctor recommends, you are only going to be short-changing yourself on the quality of your recovery and possibly the overall level of success with your surgery. Beginning your journey on your cosmetic procedure already knowing that you’re going to compromise and take “short cuts” for the instructions in your after care is a major mistake. Any doctor who minimizes the after care needs and tells “you’ll probably be ok…..Don’t worry about them” may be doing himself a favor but is giving you bad advice.

Don’t ask for multiple complex procedures at once, like they do it on the “Extreme Plastic Surgery Makeover” TV shows. In the real world (meaning not on TV), people have jobs, children, social obligations and responsibilities that go beyond their cosmetic procedure needs. It is unlikely after your cosmetic procedure that you will be placed in a Three Star hotel for the next two months with your every meal and need catered to and no other responsibilities other than appearing on camera. You should be more focused on recoveries that will be simple, straight-forward and limited. It is much more realistic and much less risky to limit the amount of surgery you are having so that you will ultimately have a reasonably quick and uncomplicated recovery to enable you to get back into the swing of your normal life in a stream-lined way.

Lyle M. Back, M.D., F.A.C.S. is Board Certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery and specializes in the full range of cosmetic surgery and non-surgical cosmetic procedures. He served as a Professor of Plastic Surgery at Temple University and St. Christopher’s Hospital for children. He is a well-known, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and has been in private practice in Cherry Hill for almost 15 years. He has appeared in numerous magazines, on the radio and on TV as a “Top Doc”. You can contact Dr. Back regarding your questions or schedule a personal complimentary consultation with him. Call us toll-free at 1-87-75-IMBACK and schedule your appointment today!

Plastic surgery involves surgical reconstruction of different areas of the body. You may be interested in plastic surgery due to birth defects, disease, burns or for other and more personal cosmetic reasons. A plastic surgeon is a well-defined surgical specialist. The best in the field have completed up to 11 years of combined educational requirements, residency requirements, internship and approved residency in plastic and reconstructive surgery, plus an additional 2 years in actual practice before being board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgeons, the Gold standard in the plastic surgery field. This is the public’s assurance that they are dealing with one of the best plastic surgeons available.

Plastic surgery can help improve the way you look and enhance your original features. Whether you are looking to have plastic surgery because of birth defects or for personal reasons, the results can boost your self confidence, build your self esteem and provide you with an entirely different outlook on life. There are many options that can improve your life and correct disfigurements or enhance your appearance. Some of the more commonly popular plastic surgery procedures are Breast Augmentation, Abdominoplasty (Tummy Tuck), Liposuction for Body Lifts, Arm Lifts, etc., facial surgeries such as Face Lifts and Rhinoplasty, as well as nonsurgical procedures like Botox injections.

Additionally some of the newer technologies are allowing us to do intricate female surgeries such as correcting vaginal relaxation using Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation procedures. This was typically a surgery only available through conventional methods until recently. By utilizing laser technology and laser surgical techniques, a plastic surgeon trained and certified in these techniques can eliminate the risks inherent with invasive conventional surgical methods, meaning less blood loss as lasers are self-cauterizing, less risk of infection and complications, virtually no hospital time and much quicker recovery times.

Choosing A Plastic or Cosmetic Surgeon

Here are some questions to help you choose a high quality plastic or cosmetic surgeon.

1. Are you Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgeons?

This should be the very first question you ask. There is much public confusion about certification and there are many different certifications available, for instance, state certification. However, to ensure you are getting the highest qualified plastic surgeon available, certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgeons is the designation you are seeking. They are the only board for instance, that can certify in both plastic and reconstructive surgery.

2. Find out who will be assisting your plastic surgeon during your procedure:

There are many people needed as a support team for your surgery to go smoothly and limit the chances of any complications. Typically, your support team will include trained nursing staff, an anesthesiologist, recovery room nursing staff, and any other technicians or support needed for your particular procedure. Find out what and who they are and their qualifications.

3. Where will my surgery be performed?

While some plastic surgery procedures may be performed in the cosmetic surgeon’s office, most require hospitalization or a surgical care center. Be sure and ask about the facilities where you will be having surgery and if those facilities are accredited or certified by the appropriate agencies.

4. What are the potential risks or side effects of my plastic surgery procedure?

Every surgery carries the potential of risk, for instance excessive blood loss, infection, or other complications that may be unforeseen or that can occur. Though very rare with modern day plastic surgery techniques, they can occur, and when they happen it can mean you require additional surgery that will place an added financial risk or burden on you. Find out what these risks are. Dr. Vu, for instance, is the only Portland plastic surgeon that has been approved by CosmetAssure. CosmetAssure is basically complications insurance, and provides Dr. Vu’s patients with an additional layer of financial protection should that rare complication occur. A cosmetic surgeon approved for CosmetAssure carries the highest credentials, a spotless surgical record and possesses the highest surgical skills.

5. How long is the Recovery Time for my procedure?

Find out, every procedure varies, but knowing ahead of time will help you plan for time off work or arrange for any additional home service help you may need.

7. What type of Anesthesia should you choose?

Anesthesia is always one of the larger risks of any type of surgery and there are basically 3 types. A local anesthesia which is very low risk and primarily only used during low risk, low invasive office procedures, an IV sedation, referred to as “twilight sleep” and general anesthesia. The choice is typically left up to the patient for the latter 2, but you need to know the risks associated with each, and the cosmetic surgeon can make a recommendation to you depending upon any additional personal risks you have, such as smoking, medications you’re currently taking, etc. Be sure and cover this topic thoroughly.

8. What do past patients have to say about this particular plastic surgeon?

The fastest way to know about a plastic surgeon is by reputation, and the thing that builds (or ruins) a plastic surgeon’s reputation faster than anything is the testimonials or recommendations from existing patients. Your cosmetic surgeon should either have a good sampling of testimonials on their website, or be able to show them to you if you ask. If the plastic surgeon you are contemplating using hasn’t received cards and letters of thanks, odds are you won’t be sending them one either. If at all possible, find out if prior patients are happy with their surgery results, as well as the personality of the attending plastic surgeon themselves.

I hope you have found this information on plastic surgery useful.

Dr. Kim-Chi Vu, MD, PC

Author: Kim-Chi Vu, M.D.
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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To help with that I’ve come up with 3 vital questions to help you choose the right plastic surgeon for you.

1. Are you board certified in facial cosmetic surgery?

Consulting with a cosmetic surgeon requires some research on your behalf. For example, not all surgeons are board certified in specialty areas like facial plastic surgery. If you want the best results from your surgery,I would recommend only going to surgeons board certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery or the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

Although choosing a board certified surgeon will not guarantee a competent surgeon skilled in your surgery of interest, it will insure that the surgeon meets a minimum requirement.

2. Are you a specialist in any procedures or are you a generalist?

The gamut of cosmetic surgery is pretty large. So a surgeon may have a practice that is largely focused on bodywork, (liposuction, breast augmentation, or tummy tucks) while only performing a few facial cosmetic surgeries a year.

If you are looking at a facial cosmetic procedure, it makes sense to seek a surgeon that focuses only on facial cosmetic surgery.

3. How many of these surgeries do you do a year?

Even though all cosmetic procedures are viewed individually, this question will give you an impression of your surgeons area of expertise. The motto of practice makes perfect applies especially to the world of cosmetic surgery. Be sure to talk to a wide range of doctors so you can compare the amount of surgeries performed and see which one will be able to handle your situation with the most competence.

Using these three questions should help you avoid some of the most common mistakes made when choosing a facial cosmetic surgeon.

To learn more about working with a specialist as well as other facial plastic surgery procedures, I invite you to visit my website and book a consultation with me today.

From Dr. Edward Kwak – New York City Plastic Surgeon

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/plastic-surgeries-articles/cosmetic-surgeon-questions-what-should-i-ask-before-choosing-a-facial-plastic-surgeon-1724265.html