Laser Skin Resurfacing Treatment

Choosing a Plastic Surgeon for your Laser Skin Resurfacing Treatment

The most important decision you can make for your laser skin rejuvenation is to choose a qualified, board certified plastic surgeon. Your surgeon should be trained and experienced in the use of the laser he/she will use. You plastic surgeon should also spend time discussing your case with you so that you achieve your goals. Please see our surgeon finder for a list of Board Certified plastic surgeons. This section of FaceForum begins with a brief introduction into the factors which one should consider as one selects a cosmetic plastic surgeon to perform one's laser peel procedure.

Top Tips for Choosing a Plastic Surgeon to Perform Your Laser Skin Resurfacing Treatment:

1. Verify that the surgeon is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.  -  You can check to see if your laser peel surgeon is board certified in plastic surgery by using the American Board of Medical Specialties website at www.abms.org or by calling them toll free at 1 (866) ASK-ABMS.
   
2. Check the status of the surgeon's medical license. - FaceForum has assembled medical license verification information from all fifty U.S. states and the District of Columbia to assist you.  Each state has its own information page on our website.  You can find the links by scrolling down this page.
   
3. Check for disciplinary actions and malpractice judgments.  Many of the state websites (see links below) have information on disciplinary actions. A few have information on malpractice judgments.  If your state doesn't list malpractice judgments on its website, you may be able to obtain that information from the clerk of courts for the county in which the doctor practices.  Keep in mind that a malpractice lawsuit is different from a malpractice judgment. An accepted rule of thumb is that three malpractice judgments in a period of five to ten years indicates a warning sign.
   
4. Ask about malpractice insurance. - Should something go wrong, you want to make sure that your surgeon has current insurance coverage.
   
5. Verify the doctor's credentials and training. - While some of the state websites (links below) give you this information, not all do.  Ask your doctor's office for information on the surgeon's training and education.  For most plastic surgeons, you can also get this info from either the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) or the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS).  Roughly 97% of all board certified plastic surgeons are ASPS members.  The ASPS website is at www.plasticsurgery.org.
   
6. Ask the surgeon how often he or she performs laser peel and what his or her the complication rates are. - Be skeptical if no one knows the answers or if you are told that a particular physician has never had any complications.
   
7. Check whether or not the surgeon has hospital privileges. - You want to know this even if you are not having surgery in the hospital.  Why?  In the rare event that something happens during surgery, you may have to be admitted to the hospital for care.  Ask the doctor's office about hospital privileges. Call the hospital to verify.
   
8. Ask for references. - Ask for before and after photos.  If you feel comfortable talking to other patients on whom the plastic surgeon performed laser peel, do so.
   
9. Ask your doctor. - What kind of opinion does your family doctor or primary care physician have of your plastic surgeon?
   
10. Ask about anesthesia. - Make sure that your anesthesia is being administered by a properly certified registered nurse anesthetist or an physician anesthesiologist.  Extra Tip: Many state websites have anesthesiologist and nurse anesthetist certification information.
    
11. Check the accreditation of the surgical facility. - States require hospitals to be certified. Most states do not require that out-patient (ambulatory) surgical facilities or office-based surgical facilities be certified. Luckily, there are national accrediting organizations which inspect and certify them.  They are the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF), the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).  You can look up AAAASF facilities at http://www.aaaasf.org/Facilities/.  You can search for AAAHC facilities at: http://www.aaahc.org/accreditation/search.shtml.  JCAHO accreditation lookups can be performed at: http://www.jcaho.org/qualitycheck/directry/directry.asp.

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State by State Resources to Help with Your Laser Skin Resurfacing Treatment Research:

AK - Laser Skin Treatment Alaska Surgeons
AL - Laser Skin Treatment Alabama Surgeons
AR - Laser Skin Treatment Arkansas Surgeons
AZ - Laser Skin Treatment Arizona Surgeons
CA - Laser Skin Treatment California Surgeons
CO - Laser Skin Treatment Colorado Surgeons
CT - Laser Skin Treatment Connecticut Surgeons
DC - Laser Skin Treatment Washington DC Surgeons
DE - Laser Skin Treatment Delaware Surgeons
FL - Laser Skin Treatment Florida Surgeons
GA - Laser Skin Treatment Georgia Surgeons
HI - Laser Skin Treatment Hawaii Surgeons
IA - Laser Skin Treatment Iowa Surgeons
ID - Laser Skin Treatment Idaho Surgeons
IL - Laser Skin Treatment Illinois Surgeons
IN - Laser Skin Treatment Indiana Surgeons
KS - Laser Skin Treatment Kansas Surgeons
KY - Laser Skin Treatment Kentucky Surgeons
LA - Laser Skin Treatment Louisiana Surgeons
MA - Laser Skin Treatment Massachusetts Surgeons
MD - Laser Skin Treatment Maryland Surgeons
ME - Laser Skin Treatment Maine Surgeons
MI - Laser Skin Treatment Michigan Surgeons
MN - Laser Skin Treatment Minnesota Surgeons
MO - Laser Skin Treatment Missouri Surgeons
MS - Laser Skin Treatment Mississippi Surgeons
MT - Laser Skin Treatment Montana Surgeons
NC - Laser Skin Treatment North Carolina Surgeons
ND - Laser Skin Treatment North Dakota Surgeons
NE - Laser Skin Treatment Nebraska Surgeons
NH - Laser Skin Treatment New Hampshire Surgeons
NJ - Laser Skin Treatment New Jersey Surgeons
NM - Laser Skin Treatment New Mexico Surgeons
NV - Laser Skin Treatment Nevada Surgeons
NY - Laser Skin Treatment New York Surgeons
OH - Laser Skin Treatment Ohio Surgeons
OK - Laser Skin Treatment Oklahoma Surgeons
OR - Laser Skin Treatment Oregon Surgeons
PA - Laser Skin Treatment Pennsylvania Surgeons
RI - Laser Skin Treatment Rhode Island Surgeons
SC - Laser Skin Treatment South Carolina Surgeons
SD - Laser Skin Treatment South Dakota Surgeons
TN - Laser Skin Treatment Tennessee Surgeons
TX - Laser Skin Treatment Texas Surgeons
UT - Laser Skin Treatment Utah Surgeons
VA - Laser Skin Treatment Virginia Surgeons
VT - Laser Skin Treatment Vermont Surgeons
WA - Laser Skin Treatment Washington Surgeons
WI - Laser Skin Treatment Wisconsin Surgeons
WV - Laser Skin Treatment West Virginia Surgeons
WY - Laser Skin Treatment Wyoming Surgeons