| Common pitfalls of plastic surgery are those involving | | | | the plastic surgery procedure or service you are |
| before and after pictures with photographic tricks or | | | | seeking, remember that many physicians may call |
| attractive models instead of the surgeon's patients, | | | | themselves plastic surgeons or cosmetic surgeons |
| that are publicly displayed in printed ads, online | | | | with training. In fact, in most states any physician may |
| advertisement or broadcasted by TV,audio-visual or | | | | perform any procedure without peer scrutiny and no |
| specific tele-shopping and infomercials.Before and after | | | | training requirements.Since there are no requirements |
| pictures are useful to help you make the decision to | | | | that the physician be is a trained surgeon, anyone may |
| have cosmetic surgery when they are real, but not | | | | claim to be a board-certified surgeon simply by joining |
| advisable as criteria to select a surgeon, since no | | | | a sound-a-like organization, but the true meaning is that |
| ethical surgeon can guarantee results this way, but if | | | | The American Society of Plastic Surgeons enforces |
| so, be sure to get his promises in writing.Fake | | | | one of the most rigorous ethical codes in the medical |
| testimonials implying that anyone can get these results | | | | profession, so the best way to find out a surgeon's |
| of people sharing their experiences may only be a | | | | facts is consulting only surgeons certified by the |
| marketing plan whether viewed on TV, through the | | | | American Board of Plastic Surgery.Other pitfalls of |
| internet, heard on the radio or at the surgeon's office; | | | | plastic surgery are those offering dramatic results with |
| they have a powerful influence in the patient's final | | | | superficial treatments, minimal or non-invasive |
| decision. Pitfalls can not be easily detected due to the | | | | procedures, no risk or little risk and downtime as well |
| impossibility to verify the authenticity of any given | | | | as a variety of products, procedures or manipulations |
| testimonial or the identity of the "happy | | | | without mention of the doctor's qualification, board |
| patients".Because the purpose of testimonials are | | | | certification or his/her specialty. These promises are |
| considered to be a way to solicit patients, most | | | | designed more for marketing reasons than a real |
| professional societies and State medical boards | | | | therapeutic value.These individual procedures may be |
| prohibit the use of testimonials to advertise Plastic | | | | inexpensive, but offers only little or temporal |
| Surgery. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons | | | | improvement, so it is necessary for multiple sessions |
| (ASPS) considers this marketing tool a violation to the | | | | before seeing positive results, raising in the mean time |
| code of ethics of 97% of certified surgeons certified | | | | the costs, often comparable to the total cost of the |
| by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, members | | | | plastic surgery. Non surgical procedures with high tech |
| of ASPS.Impressive sounding surgeon's credentials or | | | | names suggest new approaches to youthful |
| a plastic surgery procedure that does not name the | | | | appearance and the expectation of major |
| surgeon may be listed as pitfalls of plastic surgery. | | | | effectiveness.All these issues make it difficult for |
| While it is obvious to expect that a surgeon has the | | | | patients to separate plastic surgery hype from |
| proper training, credentials and experience to provide | | | | reality.Matthew Leo is the publisher of and websites. |