Qualifications Count - Medical professionals in the United States have well-defined, stringent requirements for their professional training in whatever field of expertise they have chosen. Experienced cosmetic and plastic surgeons are accredited by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and belong to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. The first thing you need to do is check on their affiliated web sites to make sure the physician you are considering is fully accredited by all the above organizations. This will ensure that you have a experienced plastic or cosmetic surgeon performing your surgery.

Basic accreditation is only the beginning of assuring a physician's qualifications for whatever surgery you may be considering. There are more things to consider when choosing surgeon, and you want to make sure you have all the information you can gather about the doctor.

Finally, involvement in professional associations indicates that a physician is keeping pace with changes in the profession and his/her field of expertise. Look at the physician's biography to see if he/she is a member of all the above professional organizations.

Experience Matters - The best indicator of how well a physician performs a particular procedure is how frequently he/she has performed it in the past. Make sure you ask about the doctor's experience doing the specific procedure you are considering with the particular techniques he/she is recommending. And don't just get a count. Find out how many of those procedures were successful and produced the results the patient was looking for. Talk to past patients to get a first-hand account of their experience with the physician. Look at before and after pictures this will help you come to your own conclusion.

Comfort Rules - Even if a physician is fully qualified and experienced with a procedure, that person may not be right for you. You need a physician who communicates openly with you, answers your questions and gives you the time you need to understand the technicalities. You need a physician who appears to have the same expectation for the outcome as you do. Most importantly, you need a person you can trust to advise you when the choices aren't black and white. Be sure you are completely comfortable with your choice of physician so that during stressful periods immediately before, during and after the surgery or procedure, you'll be taken care of the way you need.