"Cosmetic surgery" is a term used to describe any type of surgery performed to correct a physical abnormality or to improve a specific part of the body in order to enhance appearance.

This is a very broad term that encompasses various fields such as plastic surgery, dental cosmetic surgery, LASIK eye surgery and reconstructive surgery.

Originally, cosmetic surgery was only used when it was necessary to the health of the patient.

For example, it was regularly used after World War I to repair war injuries. However, within the last 50 years the wealthy began to opt for cosmetic surgery in order to maintain their youth. Initially considered taboo, it has grown to become extremely popular among all social classes.

Unfortunately, with this surge in the desire for cosmetic surgery, there has also been a surge in the number of unlicensed or under-licensed doctors performing these surgeries.

Therefore, the medical community has established several organizations to regulate who can perform cosmetic surgery procedures and how they should be performed.

These are well-known respectable organizations that should be researched prior to scheduling any type of cosmetic surgery with a surgeon.

Below is a comprehensive list, in order of importance, of the various medical organizations that surgeons should seek certification from and potential patients should choose their surgeons from.

Board Certified Plastic & Cosmetic Surgeons

The American Board of Plastic Surgery is the only recognized board certification for plastic/cosmetic surgery by the American Board of Medical Specialties.

ABPS -- American Board of Plastic Surgery

Please note that the only two associations that require members to be board-certified plastic surgeons are the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS).

ASPS -- American Society of Plastic Surgeons

ASAPS -- American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

A FEW IMPORTANT DISTINCTIONS

This list of cosmetic organizations and associations is by no means complete.

There are many more that will not be discussed here but these 15 organizations seem to be the most widely used and accepted among the medical community.

However, it can be very difficult to keep all of them straight and to know which ones are important for surgeons and which ones are important for patients.

Therefore, let's attempt to simplify all of these organizations into a couple of simple lists.

First of all, there is a distinction between an organization and an association:

• An organization is a group that provides some type of certification to its members verifying that the surgeon and the practice is legitimate and reliable.
• An association is simply a group that offers benefits to its members for a fee.

The Following Are Classified As Organizations:

AACS -- American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery
ABFPRS -- American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
ADA -- The American Dental Association
ABOMS -- American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

The Following Groups Are Classified As Associations:

AMA -- American Medical Association
AAFRPS -- American Academy of Facial and Reconstructive Plastic Surgery
ASDS -- American Society of Dermatologic Surgery
ABMS -- American Board of Medical Specialties
ISAPS -- International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
IPRAS -- International Confederation for Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery
AAOMS -- American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
ASCRS -- American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery
MTA -- The Medical Tourism Association

It is also important to realize that many of these organizations and associations overlap.

Many work in conjunction with one or two other organizations in an effort to provide the best possible education, training and support to both surgeons and patients.

For example, the ABFRPS is the certifying organization that is required prior to gaining membership into the AAFPRS.

Without the first organization, there would be no second organization. Additionally, general certification organizations, such as the ABPS is usually the first step in becoming certified.

Only after this membership has been secured will surgeons seek specialty certification.

THE IMPORTANCE FOR PATIENTS

Finally, a patient seeking cosmetic surgery of any type should do a lot of research about the actual procedure, the price and more importantly the surgeon who will be performing the procedure.

All of these organizations described have a feature on their websites that allows patients to search for a surgeon in their area.

This is a great starting point.

However, it is highly recommended that a patient check several different organizations to see how many certifications and associations a particular surgeon holds.

It is recommended to start with the AMA--if a specific surgeon's name doesn't appear, then start looking for a new one.

And don't forget, the more times a surgeon's name appears, the more confident a patient can feel about a particular surgeon.

If you'd like to consult with a board certified surgeon, please fill out the form below and we will put one in contact with you.

THE IMPACT OF THESE GROUPS ON SURGEONS

In regards to which groups are important for surgeons and patients--they all are!

Every surgeon should be certified by every organization that they are eligible for. However, the first group that should be applied to is the AMA.

Hands down this is the single most important association every surgeon should belong to.

Luckily, this association, along with many of the other organizations are open to all surgeons regardless of specialty--and every surgeon should be certified by these groups.

In addition, if a surgeon has a specialty, he or she should seek certification and membership to these groups as well.