How to Choose a Breast Augmentation Surgeon

TAMPA, FL, January 01, 2012 (Press-News.org) No other decision will have as large an impact on the quality of your breast augmentation experience, including your results, as will your choice of surgeon. Here is some basic advice for helping you pick the right breast augmentation surgeon.

Look for Personal Recommendations

If you know someone who has had a breast augmentation, ask them about their surgeon. However, never take their experience at face value. Look at it through what you know about their personality. Are they the kind of person who tends to be negative about every experience? On the other hand, are they likely to play up their surgeon as part of a habitual aggrandizement of everything associated with themselves? Don't forget to ask how they chose their surgeon. If they were rigorous in their selection, rate their recommendation highly. If they did a great deal of research, ask if they still have it--you will save yourself a great deal of time that way.

Still, never decide on a surgeon just on the basis of a recommendation. Not every surgeon is an equally good surgeon for every patient. And don't forget to take your friend's results into account. If you don't like their results, you don't want to work with their surgeon.

Check Surgeons' Websites

Do some research on your friends' surgeons and others in the region. By going to their websites, you will learn about their practice philosophy in how they choose to represent themselves. This is also a great place to check credentials. You should only work with a board-certified plastic surgeon for your breast augmentation procedure. And you can check surgeons' certification with the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

You will also get a chance to look at before and after images of the surgeons' work. Be aware, these images are likely to be among the surgeons' best results and may be Photoshopped. Use them, but don't be sold on them completely.

Check Online Reviews

For any surgeons that seem promising, check online reviews. If someone got a very bad experience, chances are they took advantage of the internet to make their experience public. And remember that people are more likely to voice a bad experience than a good one, so a couple of bad reviews should not necessarily scare you away from a surgeon, unless the reviews are really bad.

Schedule Consultations with Surgeons

To make an informed decision about your breast augmentation surgeon, you need to talk to more than one potential surgeon. This does take time, and, since many surgeons charge a consultation fee, it may cost money, but the time and money you save by getting the surgeon who will get your results right the first time are well worth it.

During your consultation, ask to see more before and after images. These are more likely to be less selected and less edited than the ones on the website. Ask the surgeon to show you images for patients similar to you, which will help you understand how he might approach your breast augmentation, as well as give you an idea for judging your frame and cosmetic goals. Pay attention to how well he listens to you--if he's not listening now, he won't likely start later on, which means you may not get the results you ask for.

Don't be surprised if your potential surgeon also seems to be interviewing you. He should be screening all his surgery patients for potential psychological problems or health conditions that may put them at risk for bad results and complications.

See the surgeons' facilities and talk to the staff. Gauge their opinion of the surgeon--they've likely been with him for long enough to know what he's like.

Make a Decision--Or Don't

After you've gone through these steps, select the surgeon that makes you feel you are likely to have a safe procedure that gives you the results you desire. And if you don't have one of those, then you should start the process over. It may be time-consuming, but your health and your appearance are too precious to risk on a surgeon who doesn't inspire you with full confidence.

If you are looking for a quality breast augmentation surgeon in the Tampa area, please visit the website of Gayoso Plastic Surgery for information on board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Antonio J. Gayoso at http://gayosoplasticsurgery.com/.