By Dr. Michael Rose

Our profession is gaining popularity. People want cosmetic plastic surgery, from Botox to liposuction and tummy tucks — and they often need reconstructive surgery, which we uniquely perform for various conditions from those resulting in nerve paralysis, to reconstructive breast surgery following cancer treatments.

That’s the good news. The bad news is there is increasing publicity on the proliferation of surgery done by unqualified practitioners that has resulted in tragic and often fatal results. According to a recent article in USA Today, “Because state laws governing office-based surgeries often are lax, levels of training vary so widely that some doctors are performing cosmetic procedures after only a weekend observing other doctors.”

“Some dentists trained in oral surgery now do breast implants; OB/GYNs perform tummy tucks, and radiologists are doing liposuction. The results can be disastrous, according to interviews with scores of victims, plaintiffs' lawyers and plastic surgeons, and a review of lawsuits.”

“Even so, there's no shortage of patients: An aging — and often overweight — population is willing to spend money on cosmetic procedures, and people often are seeking lower-cost options to board-certified, sometimes higher-priced plastic surgeons.”

You will read many of the basic rules to select qualified plastic surgeons: such as scrupulously checking for appropriate credentials; it also seems common sense that “you get what you pay for,” so if your procedure fee seems too good to believe, it probably is. However, unfortunately there will always be those individuals who are lured by inappropriate claims and treatments. These people need protection.

I am proud of the fact that my colleagues and I perform a wide range of often life-transforming procedures, and I am confident that our training—in specialties and with certifications at the highest level—makes us among the best in what we do. But I mourn for the misplaced faith that consumers may have in unqualified practitioners, and strongly urge legislators and those in positions of power to do so, to tighten up the laws to prevent improper plastic surgery procedures, by unqualified individuals.