Almost everyone has heard of a quack doctor story on the news or in the papers. A quack doctor is an individual with no medical qualifications claiming to be a medical practitioner and who in fact has little to no medical knowledge. It is not uncommon to hear of such individuals who perpetrate the medical field and spread half-baked theories and offer outlandish treatment options that can lead to serious complications to those fooled into believing their facade.
Plastic surgery is a field where an extensive medical knowledge base is required, and individuals wishing to practice in this specialty have to go through years of medical education to attain certification. Plastic surgeons go through years of anatomy and procedural technique learning before they can even assist in surgeries. Knowledge of underlying tissue, adjacent tissue or organs, neurovascular bundles, blood vessels and nerves, sterile technique, to name a few, are mandatory requirements before even thinking of making an operative incision in an operation theater.
Botched surgeries are more common as more and more people who want plastic surgery procedures done quick and cheap go-to lower-end medical doctors who lack the expertise and knowledge to perform plastic surgery. Complications are quick to arise and patients are often left unsatisfied in results, or in worst cases disfigured.
For plastic surgeons, certification after residency involves passing a board exam. In the United States, it is the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Seeing certification of this standard is needed before making your choice of the plastic surgeon, as all surgeons are required to pass several examinations showing that they indeed possess the necessary knowledge and skills to practice at a high level before being awarded this honor.
Never hesitate to ask for the certification and do your own research on your choice of doctor. Failure to do so is not only risky but could be fatal.