Plastic surgery grows in popularity every year, as does the number of available plastic surgeons. With all the choices and options out there, it can be pretty overwhelming trying to select the right plastic surgeon for you. The process is actually much easier than it sounds! By utilizing the following criteria in your search, you can narrow down your long list of choices until you find the perfect surgeon.
First, start with the basics. Check out a surgeon’s education and credentials. At the bare minimum, a surgeon has to have a medical education with at least one year of post-graduate training. A surgeon should also be board-certified, which demonstrates that they have been qualified as a surgeon by other qualified surgeons. If you have surgeons on your list without both of these, cross them off immediately! This will protect you from the most dangerous surgeons.
Second, check out their specialties. There are a lot of surgeons who can perform a wide variety of procedures. However, a surgeon who specializes in specific procedures has taken a higher level of interest in those procedures. Since they have a higher level of interest, they’re more likely to produce quality results. Dr. Hobgood specializes in a number of procedures for the head, face, and neck, including rhinoplasty, eye lifts, facelifts, and dermal filler injections.
Third, look through the surgeon’s before-and-after pictures to assess their skills and abilities. Most surgeons have these available on their websites, or you can ask to see them when visiting their practices. Look at the results for the same procedure that you want to get so you can see if you like how the surgeon does the job. It can be hard to judge results sometimes when you’re looking at other people, but do the best you can.
Fourth, see what former patients thought about their surgeon. You want to find a surgeon who gives you great results, but you also want to find one that will give you a great overall experience. Do they possess good communication skills? Do they listen to patients and answer questions? Do they treat each patient as an individual with unique features? Above all, do they make patients feel safe? These are all really important qualities for a surgeon to possess and patients are some of the best people to assess them.
Finally, once you’ve narrowed down your choices to a few surgeons, schedule a patient consultation with one. This is your opportunity to meet with a surgeon face-to-face and see for yourself if they should be the one doing your procedure. By the end of your consultation, if you don’t feel safe or comfortable with this surgeon, try looking into another one. You should feel totally secure and confident in your choice, so make sure that you do everything you can to find the right one for you.
Dr. Todd Hobgood
Dr. Hobgood has been a plastic surgeon for over 12 years and specializes in surgical and nonsurgical facial plastic surgery. His skill and expertise have been recognized around the country. With his patients, Dr. Hobgood is known for his compassion, attention to detail, and natural-looking results. To schedule a consultation at Hobgood Facial Plastic Surgery, call (480) 214-9955 or send an email through our Contact page.
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