Choosing a Surgeon for Eyelid Surgery

Eyelid Surgery

Choosing a Plastic Surgeon

Choosing a Plastic Surgeon for Your Eyelid Surgery

Picking the right plastic surgeon to perform your eyelid surgery is one of the most important decisions you will make. To assist you, FaceForum has assembled a variety of resources that can help you in your search.

This part of FaceForum's eyelid surgery section  begins with a brief introduction into the factors which one should consider as one selects a cosmetic plastic surgeon to perform one's eyelid surgery.

Top Tips for Choosing a Plastic Surgeon to Perform Your Eyelid Surgery:

1. Verify that the surgeon is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.  -  You can check to see if your eyelid surgery 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 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 eyelid surgery 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 eyelid surgery, 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.qualitycheck.org/consumer/searchQCR.aspx.

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 State by State Resources to Help with Your Eyelid Surgery Research

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

Eyelid Surgery - Quick Topic Navigation

IThis site provides much more information on eyelid surgery!  Please see the sections below.

• Introduction to eyelid Surgery
• Who Is Getting Cosmetic Eyelid Surgery?
• Who Should Not Get Eyelid Surgery?
• Risks & Complications of Eyelid Surgery 
• Eyelid Surgery Cost & Price Information 
• Health Insurance and Eyelid Surgery
• Choosing a surgeon for eyelid surgery (you are here)
• Eyelid Surgery Consultation Checklist
• Preparing for Eyelid Surgery
• Anesthesia for Eyelid Surgery Patients
• The Eyelid Surgery Procedure
• Recovering from Eyelid Surgery
• Resuming Normal Activity After Eyelid Surgery
• Before & After Eyelid Surgery Photos
• Discuss Eyelid Surgery on the Message Boards