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Choosing the Right Surgeon

How To Choose The Right Cosmetic Surgeon

The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (www.cosmeticsurgery.org) states that the specialties qualified to perform cosmetic surgery are Gynecology, General Surgeons, ENT, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Opthomology, Surgical Dermatology and Plastic Surgery. It is these specialties that rotate surgery call for injuries at most teaching hospitals and large medical centers. All of these specialties have invented or developed procedures, techniques and instrumentation for cosmetic surgery. Competition is abundant among the surgical specialties and each of the above specialties has reasons that they believe qualifies them to perform cosmetic surgery. Some of these specialties (most frequently plastic surgery) advertise that only their specialty is qualified to perform cosmetic surgery. This is an unfortunate attempt to obtain patients by misleading the public. What is most important is not the specialty of your surgeon, but outcomes of your surgeon. To say that only a single specialty is qualified is like saying that a Ford is the only good car!

Fact: 80% of cosmetic surgery is performed by non plastic surgeons*

Although Board Certification is not a guarantee of competency, it does mean that the surgeon has passed rigorous written and oral exams to achieve this level of certification. Dr. Gerard Cappiello has been board certified OB-GYN since 1990 and limits his practice to reconstructive cosmetic gynecology along with general cosmetic surgery. Many doctors perform cosmetic surgery, but many of them also perform many other types of surgery and cosmetic procedures are a small part of their overall practice. Generally, surgeons that perform only cosmetic and reconstructive surgery have more experience. Dr. Cappiello devotes 100% of his practice to general cosmetic surgery and cosmetic and reconstructive pelvic surgery. Dr. Cappiello performs 100% of the surgery on his patients.

Unfortunately, many patients never see their surgeon much until the day of the operation. It is important to have the doctor involved from the very first appointment. Failure to be able to see or easily speak to the surgeon is a warning sign that you may not be treated like a special patient.

Dr. Cappiello gives his cell phone number to all cosmetic patients because he feels that it is important to be available. Although we do cosmetic surgery and pelvic reconstructive surgery every day, for many patients this is a once in a lifetime affair. Patients frequently have questions about their surgery, evaluations, healing, post op care, etc. Realizing the importance of this we feel that there is no more direct way to contact a doctor than his or her cell phone. If you have simple questions that may be answered during normal working hours and we encourage our patients to call our office anytime for any reason. Sometimes the surgeon may not be able to come to the phone if he is with another patient or in surgery, but the staff will handle the immediate issue and the surgeon will promptly return your call.

Some doctors call their office a “surgery center”, while merely performing operations in a regular doctor’s office room without specialized equipment. Even though an anesthetist may be present, there is frequently no hospital grade anesthesia and emergency equipment. Many offices also lack important life saving medications and back up power sources. Our office and surgery center is one of the few in the city to achieve the prestigious approval of the State of Florida. It insures that very high standards have been met for optimum patient care and safety.

The certification and cleanliness of the facility as well as the presentation and compassion of the staff will influence your level of patient care. Our office strives to treat each and every patient as a VIP. Your health and welfare are our primary concerns. The staff can be a very important aspect of your surgical experience and their caring, input and concerns can truly enhance you surgery and recovery. In short, you should just have a good feeling about the people that you entrust with your body

We invite you to come into our office for a complimentary consult. During your visit you are welcome to tour our facility, meet our highly qualified staff, and find out first-hand why we may be the right choice for you.

*Source: Sacramento Bee from USA Today, January 18, 2000