Choosing a plastic surgeon

BY KATHLEEN KERR | kathleen.kerr@newsday.com

June 3, 2008

Whether you covet Angelina's pouty lips or Leonardo's nose, beware the cosmetic surgeon who promises you celebrity looks.

"People come into the office with pictures," said Dr. Martin Kessler, chief of plastic surgery at South Nassau Communities Hospital in Ocean.side. "I tell them, 'This is not you,'" because they're starting from a whole different place.

A consultation should last 30 to 45 minutes, Kessler said, noting that, in the case of face-lifts: "You're going to commit yourself to placing a knife on your face."

Kessler said patients should seek experienced surgeons who are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and who belong to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons or the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

All surgeons can do plastic surgery, Kessler said, but those who are board-certified in the specialty have completed residency training and an exam.

Dr. Alan Gold, president of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and head of a Great Neck ambulatory plastic surgery center, said patients might also consider doctors board-certified in ophthalmology and otolaryngology -- eye, ear, nose and throat specialties -- for cosmetic eyelid and nose procedures.

And Dr. Hillard Warm, chief of plastic surgery at John T. Mather Memorial Hospital in Port Jefferson, said patients seeking implants, such as those used for breast enhancement, should ask what kind will be used.

"The surgeon should tell them what's cutting edge and what's on the horizon," Warm said.

Surgeons should reveal that full tummy tucks can leave wide scars, Warm said. And smokers should be told nicotine constricts blood vessels, which can lead to skin loss, healing and scarring problems.

Cosmetic surgery should be done in a licensed hospital or an accredited ambulatory surgical facility, said Dr. Richard D'Amico, president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and chief of plastic surgery at New Jersey's Englewood Hospital. Information on accredited New York office-based facilities can be found at www.health.state.ny.us.

Gold, the Great Neck plastic surgeon, says patients seeking office-based surgery should check surgeons' credentials.

"One of the things you should look for is if they are doing procedures in their office, they should only do procedures for which they are credentialed in a local hospital," said Gold, who has surgical privileges at several Long Island hospitals.

Hospital privileges are important because complications during office-based surgery might lead to hospitalizations, said Dr. Lyle Leipziger, plastic and reconstructive surgery chief at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park and Manhasset's North Shore University Hospital.

And Leipziger warned against surgery for the wrong motive. He said: "Having trouble in a marriage is a bad reason."