How do I check whether a clinic is safe?

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) names four things: the surgeon's credentials and experience, the facility where surgery takes place, the anesthesia provider, and the system for handling emergencies.

How to read the table

The four do not substitute for one another. Even with the surgeon's credentials confirmed, a risk remains if there is no anesthesia provider, and even with the facility equipped, the same applies if the route for handling an emergency is not settled. That is why each has to be asked separately.

What these figures do not mean

Confirming the four does not guarantee the outcome. But whether the clinic answers concretely when asked is itself a basis for judgement.

What makes the difference?

• The person consulting and the person operating — Whether the doctor who did the consultation operates in person is an item to confirm.
• Board certification — Plastic surgery board certification can be checked from public information.
• Anesthesia — The wider the scope and the longer the operation, the more the presence of an anesthesia provider matters.

The four do not substitute for one another

Even with the surgeon's credentials confirmed, a risk remains if no separate person is responsible for anesthesia, and even with the facility equipped, the same applies if the route for handling an emergency is not settled. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons names the four together because each covers a different kind of risk. That is also why each has to be asked separately.

Credentials can be checked from public information

Plastic surgery board certification can be checked from public information. Beyond that, whether the surgeon has experience of this operation and whether the doctor who did the consultation operates in person are items to confirm. Clinics are run differently, so these can only be learned by asking directly.

The way the clinic answers is itself evidence

Confirming the four does not guarantee the outcome. But whether the clinic answers concretely when asked, or passes with general words, is a basis for judgement. For the anesthesia provider and the emergency system in particular, the more concrete the answer, the more likely it is that something is actually in place.

What to confirm at consultation

• Whether the doctor who did the consultation operates
• Whether the clinic answers the four concretely when asked

Asking about your own case

The table above gives general ranges and does not apply to you as it stands. Rephrasing the question like this at consultation gets you an answer for your own case.

Will the doctor I consulted with operate in person? Who is responsible for anesthesia?

Common misunderstandings

Is a board-certified plastic surgeon enough?

It is one of the four things the American Society of Plastic Surgeons names. Beyond the surgeon's credentials, the facility where surgery takes place, the anesthesia provider and the emergency response system need to be there together to cover each other's gaps.

Could the doctor I consulted with not be the one operating?

It differs by clinic, so it can only be confirmed by asking directly. Whether the consulting doctor operates and whether the surgeon has experience of this operation are items to confirm.

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