Why Plastic Surgery in the US is the Safest in the World

Recent news reports from overseas have revealed dangerously lax regulations for cosmetic surgery procedures, even in countries with highly professionalized medical systems, such as the United Kingdom.

Currently, the U.K. and many other countries lack the regulations to insure patient safety that are mandatory here. For example, injectable fillers are not classified as prescription-only as they are here in the United States; they can be injected by anyone. It is a frightening scenario, one that has been condemned by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons.

Safeguards for Patients
Fortunately for all of us, plastic surgery in the U.S. is subject to a strict regulatory system. We have a wide array of patient safeguards in place, including the following:

• FDA Approval. All medicines, devices, and equipment are rigorously tested by the product manufacturers, and all clinical trials and studies are then carefully reviewed by the FDA before approval. Even FDA-approved medical products continue to be subject to review, follow-up and, if necessary, recall. To illustrate how stringent the FDA’s approval process is, there are less than 20 injectables approved for use in the United States; there are 190 available in Europe.
• Licensing and Certification. The U.S. leads the world in the training of its medical personnel. After a physician’s training is completed, the licensing process can take many months to complete, pending an exhaustive investigation into the applicant’s background and eligibility. If a physician pursues a surgical specialty such as plastic surgery, 6 to 8 years may be spent in intensive training after medical school. To become certified by one of the recognized boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties, rigorous testing is required and standards of practice must be met and maintained. Lastly, a physician must be thoroughly vetted to obtain hospital privileges, meaning that their peers have judged them able to admit and care for patients in a hospital setting.
• Hospital Accreditation and Licensing. To achieve accreditation by an independent certifying body, our American hospitals are subject to strict regulations regarding safety and quality-of-care standards, as are ambulatory surgical centers. Hospitals must also be certified by the federal government and licensed by the state, so there are multiple levels of oversight to ensure patient safety.

Room for Improvement?
So with all these safeguards in place, is our system perfect? Not yet. For example, any licensed physician can state that they do “plastic surgery” or are a “cosmetic surgeon” without having completed the rigorous training that a board-certified plastic surgeon has. However, there are promising signs regarding scope of practice legislation; several states have recently passed laws requiring transparency for medical credentials, making it easier for the consumer to understand the extent of a doctor’s actual area of training. So although we have room to improve, I am confident that my patients can still receive the highest quality medical care in the world.

Patti Flint, M.D., P.C. is a board certified plastic surgeon that strives to ensure that all of her patients are thoroughly educated about the plastic surgery procedures they desire so that they can make a confident, well-informed decision. She is a devoted and experienced professional whose focus is to help her clients feel more beautiful and confident by delivering natural results. Find out more about Dr. Flint and read our patient reviews.

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