Choosing a Plastic Surgery Practice

What’s Important When Choosing a Plastic Surgery Practice

Once you’ve decided to pursue plastic surgery in Grand Rapids, MI, it’s important to choose a practice where you feel comfortable. You should be put at ease based on a number of different factors, such as establishing a rapport with your surgeon and tangible standards including board certification, accredited surgical facilities, and a well-trained staff. We understand you have a lot of choices, so let this guide serve you in your search for a practice.

If you are researching plastic surgeons in Grand Rapids, MI and want to learn more about our practice, request a consultation online to meet with one of our surgeons. If you have questions or need any assistance, we welcome your call at (616) 464-4420.

Excellent Standards

When it comes to your health, it is never wise to cut corners. A plastic surgery practice should meet objective criteria and have an outstanding track record for getting consistently excellent results. Here are some of the qualifications you should check:

  • Certification by The American Board of Plastic Surgery.
  • An on-site surgery center should be fully accredited by the American Association for the Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (QuadA).
  • Anesthesiologists should be certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology.
  • Before-and-after photos of patients should be readily available.

Experienced Surgeons & Staff

Experience matters. Plastic surgeons who have performed a procedure dozens or hundreds of time during their careers are better able to customize treatments or operations to meet the specific needs of their patients. Feel free to ask any surgeons you are researching how many times they have done your procedure of choice. It’s also a good idea to ask about the practice’s nursing and support staff to find out how long they have been with the practice or worked in aesthetic medicine. It’s also important to establish a personal connection with your surgeon and other members of the practice so you are able to communicate openly at all times.

Personalized Attention

A practice that includes a range of surgical and non-surgical services can tailor treatments with your specific needs in mind. At Partners in Plastic Surgery, for example, we combine treatments from our Skin Care Center with surgical procedures to get optimal results that are customized to you.

Another part of offering personalized attention is how a practice shows you that’s it’s devoted to your care. Is there a thorough, detailed consultation in which the surgeon makes sure to answer all your questions, or do you feel rushed? Does the practice provide after-hours contact information in case you have a question after your procedure? These kinds of details go above and beyond an average commitment to patient care.

Choosing a Post-Weight Loss Plastic Surgery Practice

We specialize in body contouring procedures for patients after significant weight loss, either through bariatric surgery or lifestyle changes. Our Grand Rapids practice is known for specializing in body lifts for men and women who have excess skin after weight loss, so we understand that those patient have a special set of needs that they are looking for in a practice.

A plastic surgery practice performing post-weight loss cosmetic surgery should:

  • Assess the physical and emotional needs of patients
  • Perform less common surgical procedures such as panniculectomies, lower body lifts, and male breast reduction
  • Understand when it’s appropriate to perform surgery
  • Communicate to their patients the comprehensive nature of the surgery and recovery process

We know through experience, for example, that just having excess skin doesn’t make someone a good candidate for post-bariatric surgery. Patients must maintain a steady, healthy weight after surgery and have medical clearance from their general practitioners.