How did you pick your plastic surgeon?

[Munchkin]

From a hospital or a private practice?

[Toopie2Seater]

I googled every plastics practice in my vicinity and looked at each doctor's resume', read reviews, and looked at every single before and after photo posted on their sites. I also attened two free seminars, went in for 3 consultations and spent a great deal of time looking at the before and after photo albums in the offices. I found that the pictures in the office were a more accurate reflection of their work because only their best work gets featured on the websites to attract customers.

I'm in healthcare, so I had a bit of inside knowledge about the surgeons. The hospital where I work is a level 3 center so we get a lot of traumas. Plastic surgeons come in frequently to do cosmetic work when there are patients with disfiguring injuries from car accidents, dog maulings etc. I ended up choosing my plastic surgeon because of his credentials, photos of his work, his bedside manner, his honesty (told me I needed to lose more weight), and the staff in his office - all of whom had received a nip or tuck by him and gladly lifted their clothing to show off the results (boobs and all!) I knew he was the right one when I met him. His consultation was free and his price was right in the middle of others I had been quoted. He also had a revision policy and required an overnight stay, both of which made me feel better about choosing him.

[brandy5]

I had plastic surgery on my face in 2007, my dermatologist recommended him and I researched his credentials afterwards.

[Terps]

I'm starting the consultation process early. I'm looking at websites, reading reviews, looking at photos. Then getting a sense of the doc and staff. One doctor wouldn't let me browse photos, controlled it from behind his desk/computer. That was enough to cross him off my list.

[Munchkin]

I got some tips from other people and plastic surgeons

1. Start with the American board of plastic surgery to look for a board certified plastic surgery (That is just the very basic, my surgeon is board certified).
2. Smart beauty guide online
3. Plasticsurgery.org
4. Surgeon's education and training, experience, fellowship
5. asps.org
6. Ask your doctors (PCP, GYN, WLS). My GYN gave me two referral. My WLS gave me one.
7. Ask your friends and family (I don't know anybody who has had worked done. LOL!)
8. Asethetic Society of Plastic Surgery
9. vitals.com, ratemd.com, realself.com, healthgrades.com (my surgeon had great ratings on all these, so take it with a grain of salt is my advice).
10. Before, after pictures. Look for the scar position, is it high? Look for the scar coloring, is it dark? I notice the plastic surgeons who are proud of the incision scar will show the after pictures without hiding the scar. Check if the patients are wearing big panties in post op picture.
11. Ask about revision policy. What is the policy? is dog ear done under local at the doctor's office for free? If you need a revision for a tummy tuck, do you pay the hospital fee and other fee but surgeon fee is waved. Surgeon fee is only waved under the surgeon's discretion (that is what I am told by Mass General).
12. Ask about the post op care, my post op care sucks. I was not given any information in regards to compression garment, scar treatment.
13. If it is a practice that has multiple surgeons, ask the surgeon if he is leaving within the next 6 months. I can't believe my surgeon did a major surgery (not a great job) on me and left. He didn't feel that he is responsible until I corner him, by then I have lost all trust in him.

[Munchkin]

Remember the pictures you see from the surgeons are their best work. I went to one consult, I was not impressed with the pictures, so definitely did not go with that one.

I was too trusting the first time around. I have learned a lot more about tummy tuck then I care to know. Still learning.

Do you know if you have a big uterus or lots of fibroid, it can affect the tummy tuck outcome, after all, they are competing for space in the lower abs. So talk to your PS if you know you have lots of fibroid.

[judyvsgx2]

I went to Dominican Republic. I wanted the small waist, big butt look! I wanted more drastic results than offered in US or Mexico. And I got it. 30' waist, 45 inch butt!!! Tummy tuck, liposculpture, and 3000 CC fat transfer to my butt! My doc was amazing with lower half, although not so great with boobs. I'm still happy with my naturals lol. IMG_20140213_151132.JPGDRA Yily De Los Santos. 2 weeks post op

[Munchkin]

Looking good. I am too chicken to have surgery out of US. I don't even want to have surgery out of state.

For people who live in MA, you can look up the best doctor list by Boston magazine 2013. They are available online. There are about 12 best plastic surgeons in MA for 2013.

[jessiejess]

I went to Dominican Republic. I wanted the small waist, big butt look! I wanted more drastic results than offered in US or Mexico. And I got it. 30' waist, 45 inch butt!!! Tummy tuck, liposculpture, and 3000 CC fat transfer to my butt! My doc was amazing with lower half, although not so great with boobs. I'm still happy with my naturals lol. IMG_20140213_151132.JPGDRA Yily De Los Santos. 2 weeks post op

Hi. I've seen your posts before where you talk about your plastics. Do you mind if I ask how much all of it cost? I'm going to have a breast augmentation and in about a year or two will want a circumferential lift and a inner thigh lift. Hopefully the circumferential body lift will take care of some of my loose bootie skin. But I'm curious to know much all of that cost you. I could always just do an inner thigh lift and fat transfer to my butt. I want to do anything possible to avoid a circumferential lift. It just looks so brutal. I can live with the loose tummy skin because my tummy is actually flat, just not as firm as I'd like, and there's no overlap or anything. But the thighs and butt bother me.