5 Questions to Ask Before You Have Cosmetic Surgery

By Roxanne Patel Shepelavy
January 17, 2012
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Thinking about getting a little nip/tuck? Be sure to ask these five vital questions before taking that leap and going under the knife.
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Thinking about getting a little nip/tuck? Be sure to ask these five vital questions before taking that leap and going under the knife.

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What are your qualifications?

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Look for a surgeon who is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery ( abplsurg.org).

Also ask what kind of training the doctor has in the specific procedure you’re considering—you don’t want someone whose only training was a one-day or weekend course.

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How often have you done this procedure?

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Ideally, he or she has done the same procedure hundreds of times, over many years.

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What are the potential risks and complications?

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It’s a huge red flag if he promises a risk-free procedure—there’s no such thing.

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Where will the surgery take place?

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You should be operated on in a hospital or accredited surgical facility (a.k.a. an outpatient or ambulatory surgery center), not at a medi-spa or a regular, unaccredited doctor’s office.

Accreditation means that the facility adheres to strict safety and quality standards. (You can double-check accreditation at

aaaasf.org, aaahc.org, or qualitycheck.org.)

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Do you have hospital privileges?

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If something goes wrong and you need to be admitted to a hospital, you want your doc to keep treating you himself, rather than turning you over to another doctor with no prior knowledge of the case.

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By Roxanne Patel Shepelavy