CNN article on "wanna-be" cosmetic surgeons

Here's an article from CNN Health, which talks about how many physicians are trying their hand at cosmetic medicine and cosmetic surgery, regardless of their training, board certification, or experience.

Link

It's clear that some physicians think that the "grass is greener" on the plastic surgery side of the fence...but they don't want to invest the time to train properly in plastic surgery, since that takes years. So, more and more frequently, these docs take a one-day course on saturday, then start using their new laser or liposuction machine on monday. It's a recipe for problems, and the patient is the one who suffers.

I think the most insightful quote in the article is this one, from Dr. Brent Moelleken, a plastic surgeon in California. "If patients heard about a plastic surgeon expanding his practice to include Pap smears and hysterectomies, they would be horrified. But they think little of having laser procedures or liposuction done by a gynecologist. And there is no law against either."

Remember, just because it's cosmetic doesn't mean it isn't real surgery, with real potential for complications. Do your research. Stick with experienced, credentialled surgeons who practice within their field of training. Review their before and after pictures. Talk to some other patients. Extra time taken when selecting your surgeon pays dividends later.