All surgery involves risk but going to an unqualified doctor for the cosmetic procedure you want increases the risk of botched surgery. Finding yourself in this position can be emotionally devastating, financially strapped, and feeling pretty hopeless. Going for the lowest price for a procedure is not the best idea. You've all heard, "You Get What You Pay For." With surgery that could be an unqualified doctor practicing on you.

Many board certified surgeons have seen patients disfigured by previous surgeries. Some times there is a solution and some times not. For example, if a patient had a rhinoplasty and the results look too dramatic or caved in,  a plastic surgeon may be able to perform corrective surgery. In this case, he might be able to harvest cartilage from the patient’s ear to rebuild the bridge of the nose.

With mini facelifts, the results are usually not long lasting and patients go to a second surgeon complaining and wanting results. Some may have had their necks liposuctioned creating a hollow. Liposuction alone does not improve the underlying structure. Even if the excess fat has been sucked away, you’ll still be left with slack skin.

A board certified surgeon can sometimes correct that. A traditional facelift can be performed with some clever work on the neck. Tightening of the muscle can only be addressed by a  necklift.

Corrective surgery may be more complicated than the first but most patients who have been in this situation believe feeling better about yourself is worth it. You’ll experience some swelling and bruising for a couple of weeks but you’ll notice a dramatic difference just a few weeks after that.

Do not make your decision based on low price alone. Is the doctor board certified? How many procedures has he done? Is he affiliated with a hospital? What are his degrees? What is he certified in? By what governing agency?

Check the website for the American Board of Plastic Surgery , the  American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery for a plastic or cosmetic surgeon near you. Get more than one consultation if you are not completely satisfied with the first.

One lady told me that she had talked to 19 surgeons and was going with the one with the cheapest price because he had his own operating suite. This is after she told me she had read bad reviews about him.

Check www.ratemds.com,  “Google” the doctor’s name (you’ll be surprised at what you might come up with), check  www.healthgrades.com, www.grademyplasticsurgeon.com. You can also ask to speak with former patients of the doctor.

Atlanta plastic surgeons board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery include:

Dr. Brian Howard, Dr. Melissa Lawrence, Dr. Alan Larsen, Dr. Robert Zaworski, Dr. Carmen Kavali, Dr. Marc Klein, Dr. Stanley Okoros, Dr. Tom Lintner, Dr. James Leake, Dr. John Connors.

Atlanta facial plastic surgeons certified by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery or American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery include:

Dr. Brian Maloney, Dr. Seth Yellin, Dr. Mike Majmundar, Dr. William Silver, Dr. Louis DeJoseph.

CLICK on the doctor’s name to be linked to the respective website.

For more information, you may contact me at lynn-atlanta@juno.com  To receive notifications by email of future articles, click on SUBSCRIBE at the top of this page, enter your email address and you will receive a confirmation email. You will begin receiving notifications when the next article is published. Thank you for your support.