FACE LIFT FACTS

To verify that your doctor is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, you can go to www.abms.org (American Board of Medical Specialties) or www.surgery.org (American Society of Aesthetics Plastic Surgery).

You will also want to find out if your doctor has hospital privileges. Even if the procedure will not be performed at the hospital (and 53% of cosmetic surgeries are not), some feel it is important to know that your doctor is qualified and has the necessary training to be accepted. The ASAPS states that, “It is important to find out if the doctor has operating privileges in an accredited hospital for the same procedure you would like to have performed. Before granting operating privileges, hospital review committees evaluate a surgeon’s training and competency for specific procedures. If the doctor does not have hospital privileges to perform your procedure, look for another surgeon.”

If you have general anesthesia, be sure your anesthesiologist is certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA). You can verify certification at www.theaba.org. If your doctor uses a nurse anesthetist, check to see if they are certified by the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) at www.aana.com.

Did you know that hair loss can be a possible side effect of facial plastic surgery? Some women, after a second face lift/brow lift, will lose their hair in the side burns, temple points, corners and frontal hairline. This happens when skin is pulled from a hairless spot on the face and then placed over a spot where hair naturally grows. As a result, hair often falls out or can no longer grow in that area.

(www.smartfacelifts.com)