Plastic Surgeons vs. Cosmetic Surgeons

In recent decades, plastic and cosmetic surgery practices have proliferated due to a surge in demand for various aesthetic procedures for the breast, body, and face. While most practices claim to offer the services of a qualified plastic surgeon, some of them may not actually have the right training or qualifications that are expected of a plastic surgeon.

Patient awareness becomes an important aspect in this regard, in order to ensure that they seek treatment from the most appropriate surgeon. Dr. Neal Handel is a board certified plastic surgeon with nearly four decades of experience. Dr. Handel receives patients from Beverly Hills, CA and surrounding communities.

Significance of Organized Plastic Surgery

All cosmetic surgery procedures are primarily elective in nature. This increases the responsibility of the surgeon manifold to ensure that a procedure must be performed only on the right candidate and under the safest of circumstances. Only a fully trained surgeon will be in a position to ensure complete patient safety and deliver results in line with the patient’s aesthetic needs and expectations.

Patients are on a safe footing when they choose a surgeon having the required certifications from or affiliations with a leading plastic surgery board or society. These organizations will ensure that their members have the requisite training and skills and adhere to the best surgical standards and practices in every procedure they perform.

Some of the prominent societies in this regard will include the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS), as well as recognized local societies in every state. Dr. Handel is a distinguished plastic surgeon providing cutting edge surgical and non-surgical procedures to patients in Beverly Hills    and nearby areas.

Legal Backing

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS), and the Utah Plastic Surgery Society (UPSS) recently earned a landmark legal victory in the 10th District US Courts of Appeals in Denver, CO. A lawsuit had been filed previously in a lower court against these societies claiming that they were conducting a patient safety and awareness campaign that created a distinction between plastic surgeons and other surgeons.

The lower court had dismissed the lawsuit, and now the Court of Appeals has upheld the previous dismissal. The key contention of the plaintiffs was that the education campaign of these societies was causing a loss of business to non-plastic surgeons. However, the appellate court did not find any legal violation by the societies in their campaign and dismissed the complaint, marking an important victory for organized plastic surgery.

‘Do Your Homework’

The campaign of the ASPS, aptly titled ‘Do Your Homework’ is aimed at raising awareness and educating people to acquire correct knowledge about the qualifications and credentials of a plastic surgeon before they go ahead with a procedure.

The recent legal victory is a reaffirmation of the public education stand taken in this campaign. The President of UPSS, Brian Brzowski, said that the court’s decision is a confirmation of the need to make people aware about the fine distinctions between certified plastic surgeons and other surgeons.