|
Researching
Your Plastic Surgeon
Now that you have a list
of candidates to perform your surgery, you must now research their
credentials, and malpractice history. Not all information is
made available to the public, so relying on word of mouth of real
patients can be invaluable. This may be a lot of information
to absorb but it is very important, your life and physical
well-being may depend upon it.
State
Licensure
State licensure is very important. Your
surgeon must hold a valid license to practice medicine for the state in which he performs
your procedure. These licenses may be a Medical Doctor (M.D.) which is an
allopathic physician or a Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.) which is an osteopathic
physician. Most plastic surgeons tend to be medical doctors, but sometimes you
may find one that is an osteopathic doctor. You may verify your
surgeon's certifications here:
State Medical Boards Verifying Your Surgeon's
Certification
Although not every good surgeon will be listed on the American Board of Medical
Specialties (ABMS). The ABMS website provides
you with the means to determine if your surgeon is in fact certified by any of
their boards (commonly The American Board of Plastic Surgery and/or The American
Board of Surgery). Click the below link-button to access the American
Board of Medical Specialties' online certification verification database.
It will require registration, however registration is free.
Alternatively, you can verify a surgeon's
certification over the phone by calling 1-866-ASK-ABMS
(or 1-866-275-2267). Both of these options are provided to you at no charge so
feel free to utilize this service.
Additionally, some
surgeons you come across will not be certified by the American Board of Plastic
Surgery and will instead be members of The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery
(AACS). Although the AACS is not recognized by the ABMS
Professional
Liability Insurance
Not all surgeons carry
liability insurance and not all states require it. You can contact your
state's Department of Insurance (D.O.I), or also the states for which your
surgeon has been licensed to practice in in the past. Not all states are
created equal, in fact, you may not be able to find much information from
state to state. You may also wish to ask whether or not your doctor
carries professional liability insurance, although you may detect a note of
uneasiness in the room regardless of the answer. It's just an awkward
question, so don't be alarmed. It's kind of like if you were to invite
someone over to your house for dinner and before they stepped into your house
they asked if you had insurance. You'd wonder to yourself if they had the calculated
intention of suing you if they didn't like the meal. But it is your right
to know.
Some surgeons may
choose to utilize a surety bond instead of carrying insurance if they
have the resources to do so. Some states have very high insurance premiums
and it is often easier and less expensive in the long run to carry a bond
instead. This basically means the surgeon either has the funds/liquid
assets, or maintains an irrevocable letter of credit equal to the maximum award
amount for that state set aside instead of paying high premiums for liability
insurance. However, several states require liability insurance.
Factors which may
determine whether or not your surgeon chooses to have insurance may be, region,
state requirements, risk of specialty, assets, or requirements of group
practices or premises. So do not be alarmed if your surgeon does not carry
liability insurance as his medical license will more than likely require that he
has comparable coverage in asset form. Also, doctors who choose not to
carry traditional liability insurance are usually required to post such
information in plain view in their office, or on documents made readily
available to their patients.
Verifying
A Surgery Center's Accreditation
If your surgery is to be
performed at an on-site Ambulatory Surgery Center make sure they are
accredited! Accreditation associations ensure that Surgery Centers are
well equipped, have equipment to properly sterilize instruments, have an
emergency protocol, proper emergency equipment such as a crash cart and are easily
accessible to emergency vehicles. Below are the four accreditation
associations in the United States, and one in Canada:
Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC)
3201 Old Glenview Road, Suite 300
Wilmette, Illinois 60091
Telephone: (847) 853-6060
Fax: (847) 853-9028
Website:
www.aaahc.org
American Association for Accreditation for Ambulatory Surgery Facilities
(AAAASF)
1202 Allanson Road
Mundelein, Illinois 60060
Toll-free: (888)
545-5222
Fax: (847)
566-4580
Website:
www.aaaasf.org
American Osteopathic Association
(AOA)
142 East Ontario Street
Chicago, IL 60611
Telephone: (312)
202-8000
Fax: (312)
202-8200
Website:
www.aoa-net.org
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)
One Renaissance Boulevard
Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois 60181
Telephone: (630)
792-5000
Fax: (630)
792-5005
Website:
www.jcaho.org
Canadian Association for
Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities
2334 Heska Rd.,
Pickering, Ontario Canada L1V 2P9
Telephone: (905) 831-5804
Fax: (905) 831-7248
Website:
www.caaasf.org
Other
Boards and
Professional Organizations
Researching A Surgeon's Malpractice History
This is a very scary subject
for many people. Unfortunately today there are surgeons who perform less
than stellar surgeries and also many frivolous lawsuits as well which can cloud
us from determining educated decisions for ourselves. This is also a very
difficult area to research, as it takes many, many dedicated hours of effort,
and still you may not be able to get as much information as you would
like. There are wonderful surgeons who have been sued and there are
surgeons with inadequate skills who haven't been sued--yet. It is
certainly enough to scare us in to hiding when seeking the right doctor for our
surgery. If you do find that your surgeon has been involved in a recent
lawsuit, inquire as to why. Just know that anyone can file a lawsuit at
anytime, whether they have reason or not.
Please also know
that lawsuits should not be, but are, filed because the results were not what
the patient expected or if something unforeseen arose such as undiagnosed
medical conditions, anesthesia complications, etc. or inherent risks such as
capsular contracture or rupture. Most cases must prove negligence to be
viable but there are winning cases where no negligence is proven.
Negligence is where a case where the attending surgeon(s) administered care
which was substandard in that particular medical community/specialty (plastic
surgery). And unfortunately it is becoming increasingly difficult to
determine which surgeons are victims of frivolous lawsuits or serious cases
where the patients were the victims -- these cases should be addressed and
considered before your choosing to undergo surgery. Most surgeons will not
come out and tell you if they have been involved in a lawsuit although you do
have the right to ask, with emphasis on recent suits.
You can go to
the courthouse for the county in which your surgeon practices and perform a
search for litigations, arbitrations, trials, etc in the civil
index. You can ask the county clerk for specific instructions and etiquette
on how to do this as this office is where this information is usually
held. Some courts ask that you pay a fee for copies of the documents.
Please
also know that it is quite possible that malpractice information may be
found instead at the Superior Court Office.
What About The Plastic Surgeons Listed On Breast
Implants Central?
Breast Implants Central only refers surgeons certified by the American
Board of Plastic Surgery.
Locate A Board Certified Plastic Surgeon Now
|
