Jan 27, 2010
Picking the right surgeon is a bit daunting.
Most of the time we can only go on our impression of the doctors personality and the amount of framed certificates hanging on his wall, and that could be all together misleading.
Just because someone has the personality of a goldfish doesn’t mean he is not picasso in the operating room!
So how do you find the surgeon who will create the ideal you have in your head?
Here are some ideas that should help (and some that might not help at all…):
- Do they have the highest qualifications available?
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“Members of the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons have recognised training in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery and operate to the highest standards. Member surgeons operate only in accredited surgical facilities, adhere to a strict code of ethics, and regularly attend continuing medical education courses.Look for the letters FRACS after a doctor’s name. This means that they meet the standards of surgical training set by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS). The RACS is the only accredited surgical training college in Australia.You can also check that a doctor is a specialist in plastic surgery by calling the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons’ information hotline on 1300 367 446 or by clicking on the ‘Surgeon Search’ button at www.plasticsurgery.org.au”
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Have they performed many surgeries in the particular area you want. Have they done extra training in that field? Some surgeons do mostly Breast Augmentation, wheras others might be trained in Craniofacial surgeries, and would be more suited to nose surgeries.
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Do you know anybody who has been a patient with the surgeon. Forums such as this one are a great way for people to share their experiences in an unbiased way.
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Google their name, if no lawsuits apear thats a good sign…
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It is a good idea to go to 3 consultations to get several opinions on what would be best for you. Different surgeons might have totally different ideas on what you should have done.
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When you went to the consultation did you feel that the surgeon listened to your goals and desires? It is important to listen to their proffessional opinion, as that is their area of expertise, however your goals are individual, and a good surgeon should be able to take your aims and ideas and help you achieve as close to that as possible. A surgeon that makes you feel uncomfortable may not be easy to deal with if something goes wrong down the track, especially if you need a redo. What are their guarantees if there are problems? Will they cover any costs that may arise due to complications.
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Ask to see photos of their patients, but keep in mind that they will always show the good cases! These pictures can give you an idea of where the surgeon makes the incisions and what procedures he does regularly.
- There are risks in every surgery, don’t always base your decision on the cheapest option. This does not mean that the outcome will be better if you pay more money, but in Australia, the more qualified a plastic surgeon is, generally the more they can charge. A registered, board certified surgeon will have undergone more training than a cosmetic surgeon and will likely charge accordingly. It is your life and body that you are trusting to this person, so make sure you feel completely happy before proceeding.
Know your stuff. Research what you are doing as much as you can, be informed and you will be prepared to ask the right questions. If you know clearly what you want you will be in a better position to get it!
Lastly, check for a picture of a wife on the desk- if she looks extra-ordinarily attractive, chances are she has benefited from his skilled hands, and you know you are in good hands!
i pick purely on looks
I do not necessarily agree that high qualifications equal a safe surgeon. For example, Dr. Morris RItz from The Melbourne Institute of Plastic Surgery was recently on trial in the Supreme Court over a relatively routine breast enhancement job that lost the woman an entire breast. He did not warn her that things like this could happen, played down the seriousness of the situation and was not there for her afterwards. It was in fact a nurse who got so concerned, called another doctor and that doctor immediately sent her to the emergency section of a hospital. She is also very badly scarred for life and suffes from ongoing depression. The impression I got was that her depression was partly a result of the surgeon’s lack of after care and attempt to minimise his responsibility in this. Of course, this is the issue with medical indemnity insurance, however it’s one thing to lose your breast but to have a surgeon blatenly worry more about his hip pocket than your emotional well being just adds to the entire problem. Having to fight for what should be your natural and obvious justice is cruel. These kind of plastic surgeons need to look at their own pathological belief in their supremity. There is a lot of greed around. Doctors like Morris Ritz take too many patiens out of greed and that cannot result in optimum care. Again, a 26 year old woman died after undergoing liposuction with another plastic/reconstructive surgeon of the highest possible training. Again, he didn’t take responsibilty in her after care. When her boyfriend called in a distressed state, the surgery told her to take more pain killers and lie down. The next time she got up, she collapsed and died and athe coroner has ruled that it was medical negligence that killed her. I think that a lot of the “better” trained surgeons have pathological, narcissistic personality disorders or even show traits of being sociopaths. Their belief in their own self importance causes them to blame their patients instead of taking responsibility and saying “I am really really sorry” Of course, it’s a ruthless world because insurance companies will always tell doctors not to say sorry and that culture just has to change. – especially when you are dealing with women in such incredibly vulnerable circumstances. We accept that doctors make mistakes and are human. And it would be of great help to our recovery when things do go wrong, if they were somehow able to express some remorse . It would then be a lot easier to move on. It is arrogance gone wild and many of these plastic surgeons have made a serious pact with the devil where money and status and the way society sess them, comes way before the health of their patients. Of course, if you are going to have major reshaping of the jaw, bones etc… you must go to someone who is also a reconstructive surgeon with all the extra qualifications. But for more surface things, sometimes the cosmetic doctors are actually better (because they perform the more surface work more frequently) and they are often far less arrogant and sociopathic!
Hi there,
I have just read what happened to that poor woman as a result of Surgery with Dr Ritz. Over the past year I have suffered too servere depression as a result of surgery performed on me by Dr Tavakoli. The results are shocking and his post-operative care was absolutely horrific. He suggested that to fix one of the problems he could see as a result of poor work quality, I lay in his OFFICE and HAVE IT FIXED THERE!!!!!
Pleas help. How do I take this further? His surgery is going to charge me another $200 every time I got back… and I have only been to one post-op because of this.
HI I’VE JUST READ BOTH YOUR STORIES AND UNDERSTAND HOW YOUR FEELING. AFTER WAITING FOR YEARS AND BREAST FEEDING 2 CHILDREN MY BREASTS HAD GONE FROM A PERKY 10DD TO A VERY LONG BUT STILL LARGE BREAST. I THOUGHT I DID ALL THE RESEARCH “INTERVIEWED” MY SURGEONS, SELECTED THE BEST OR SO I THOUGHT! THE SURGEON AND I DECIDED THAT A LIFT WITH A IMPLANT UNDER THE MUSCLE WOULD BE BEST, UNFORTUNATELY AFTER THE FIRST SURGERY THE IMPLANT ON MY LEFT WAS TOO LARGE SO I HAD IT REMOVED AND A SMALLER ONE PUT IN, UNFORTUNATELY THE SECOND SMALLER IMPLANT MOVED OUT OF ITS POCKET AND PUSHED THE BREAST TISSUE UP AND OUT MAKING MY BREAST LOOK DEFORMED, ASWELL THE RIGHT BREAST SEEMS TO HAVE DROPPED AND THE NIPPLE STRETCH SO ON THE THIRD SURGERY (YESTERDAY) I WAS HOPING TO HAVE GREAT LOOKING BREAST OR I WOULD HAVE SETTLED FOR NORMAL!!!!! I HAVE JUST LOOKED AT MYSELF IN THE MIRROR AND EVEN THOUGH I KNOW THEY ARE STILL SWOLLEN I CAN’T HELP BUT CRY AS THEY STILL LOOK UNEVEN AND DEFORMED. THE SURGEON HAS BEEN GOOD AND HAS NOT CHARGED ME ANY EXTRA, BUT WHAT DO I DO NOW MY DREAM WENT SO WRONG, EXPENSIVE AND VERY PAINFUL.
Hi I am 68 years of age and am having a breast reduction in November. I have picked my surgeon but how do I know he is the best around. Next Tuesday am going for a long consultation with photos etc and only hope I have made the At this stage I’m unsure if he is a member of the FRASS?
Am a little frightened have to admit but really should have had it done a few years ago.
Any news that may help would be much appreciated
has anyone had a good or bad experience with Dr Brett Archer of Southbank that they can share? thankyou.
Joanna, you should post the question on the forum section of this website (go to the top menu option that says Forum). You’ll get more answers there! Goodluck