Fellowship in the American College of Surgeons

The American College of Surgeons is an association of surgeons created for the advancement of science and education in the field. They offer fellowships to doctors across the country who are devoted to high levels of excellence in their practice as well as rigorous adherence to all professional and ethical standards. Fellows of the ACS adhere to a rigorous set of ethical standards pursuant to protecting the health, safety, and mental well-being of all patients. Just look at this excerpt from their Fellowship Pledge to understand just how serious they are about patient protection:

“I pledge to pursue the practice of surgery with honesty and to place the welfare and the rights of my patient above all else. I promise to deal with each patient as I would wish to be dealt with if I was in the patient’s position, and I will respect the patient’s autonomy and individuality.”

Choosing a plastic surgeon with FACS credentials means choosing a doctor you can trust to put your safety and privacy at the top of his to-do list.

Super Doctors | Rising Stars Edition

Super Doctors is a list of top doctors across more than 40 medical specialties who have reached a high level of peer recognition or professional achievement in their medical careers. The list is featured across popular publications in each major city with my own listing set for placement in LA Magazine this August 2017. Although it sounds a little Hollywood, behind the glam hides one of the most competitive awards in modern medicine. Plastic surgery can be a dangerous medical procedure if not done by a highly trained professional. When choosing a Super Doctor you’re choosing a professional at the highest level of their medical specialty. Super Doctors lists only the top 5% of physicians across the country, while the Rising Stars edition cuts that down the middle to 2.5%. Rising Stars is a precursor with the only restriction barring your entry to the official list being the years of experience, so I’ll be a Super Doctor soon enough.

The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons also known as The Aesthetic Society is a distinguished organization that awards membership to certified plastic surgeons who advance the science, art, and safe practice of aesthetic plastic surgery. ASAPS membership requires certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Canada, and sometimes to international members at the highest professional level of their country. This certification is highly important to you when choosing your plastic surgeon, because it shows your doctor completed a rigorous set of examinations certifying that he/she understands plastic surgery at the highest professional level. Once certified by the ABPS to receive ASAPS membership a plastic surgeon must then complete over 75 surgical cases within a 18 month period, get referred by two accredited members, and attend an ASAPS event to learn about the most-up-to-date and best practices in the surgical community. If you see the mark of Cleopatra on your plastic surgeon’s website you know that doctor has a large body of work and a high-degree of excellency.

Wrapping things up I just want to stress that you take time to do your research before choosing your plastic surgeon and getting any surgical procedure done. Make sure your doctor has the proper credentials and that he is working in a safe and accredited medical facility. Personally, I like to work at UCLA Medical Center as it’s one of the few facilities that can provide an over-night stay within the surgery center. If complications arise that require an immediate return to the operating room (although rare) or a patient needs to have more intensive nursing during their initial recovery, there is no need to be transported between different facilities which can save significant time and discomfort. If you want to learn more about our facility you can read  about it on the UCLA Plastic Surgery website. For more information about myself and some of the services, please visit my Procedures tab to learn more.