In most states any licensed physician can perform cosmetic surgery. Yet, most people would feel much more comfortable knowing that the person performing their surgery is not only a doctor, but a proven specialist, trained specifically in plastic surgery. So how can you tell if your physician is a truly a specialist in the field of plastic surgery? How can you ensure that a surgery center meets all safety standards? Look for Board Certification or Accreditation from respected and authoritative governing bodies.

Board Certification or Accreditation lets you know that your physician or a surgical center meets specific and stringent requirements. Each board has its own rules, but the rules are set up to ensure that the person or facility has met or exceeded requisites, obligations and conditions.

Dr. Stevens and Dr. Spring are American Board of Plastic Surgery board-certified physicians and members of American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Board of Medical Specialties. In addition, all anesthesiologists who work at Marina Plastic Surgery Center are certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology with training and certification in advanced cardiac life support (ACLS).

We strongly recommend that you take the time to identify which boards have certified your surgeon, and that you consider the amount of specialized training and experience your surgeon has performing your type of procedure.

About Accreditation for Physicians

Many “cosmetic surgeons” say that they are board certified, but only the American Board of Plastic Surgery has traditionally overseen the training of a California Plastic Surgeon. The ABPS is the only board approved by the American Board of Medical Specialties that certifies physicians in plastic surgery of the face and all areas of the body. While the intent of the ABPS is not to designate eligibility of who may perform plastic surgery procedures, it does resolve to initiate the qualifying requirements for applicants requesting certification, regulate comprehensive examinations and present certification to those who meet the establish requirements.

To be ABPS board-certified, a physician must meet these rigid requirements:

• Graduate from an accredited medical school
• Complete a combination of at least five years of general surgery and plastic surgery residency training
• Pass comprehensive oral and written exams

All members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons are certified by the ABPS or by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. The American Board of Medical Specialties was created to protect patients by regulating the quality of medical education. Besides certification, membership in ASPS requires a plastic surgeon to regularly attend continuing medical education courses and to adhere to a strict code of ethics.

About Accreditation for Facilities

Our plastic surgeons and the operating room team perform most surgical procedures at the Marina Outpatient Surgery Center, located in Marina del Rey, California. This facility is fully accredited by American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF).

AAAASF accreditation has been recognized as the “gold standard” and every AAAASF-accredited ambulatory surgery facility must meet stringent national standards for equipment, operating safety, personnel and surgeon credentials.

All AAAASF-accredited facilities must:

• Comply with applicable local, state, and federal regulations
• Adhere to federal laws and regulations affecting their operation such as OSHA blood-borne pathogens standards, hazardous waste standards, and the Americans with Disabilities Act
• Use advanced instruments and monitoring devices for patient safety
• Allow surgery to be performed only by qualified surgeons who have privileges to perform the same surgical procedures in an accredited hospital
• Provide for the administration of general anesthesia, when appropriate, by a board-certified or board-eligible anesthesiologist or a certified registered nurse anesthetist. Other personnel assisting in surgery and providing care for the patient in the recovery room include specially trained and certified surgical technicians, registered nurses, and licensed practical nurses.