Plastic Surgery is the most competitive specialty in all of medicine. The residency is the hardest to gain admittance. The board certifying exams are the hardest in existence. Thus, the individuals that emerge from this in the last 2 decades are among the most intelligent and most capable in existence. Then consider the most competitive plastic surgery locales in the United States. Those are New York and Los Angeles hands down. There are thousands of plastic surgeons trying to practice cosmetic plastic surgery in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills alone. To that add ENT surgeons and dermatologists, some general surgeons, OB/GYNs, family practice doctors, and even emergency medicine doctors have thrown their hats into the ring. Then add to that millions and millions (billions) of dollars in advertising for both the doctors and the types of technology. How could a patient possibly determine who is a real expert in any procedure?
There are a few things to consider. Consider the body of work performed. For instance, in regard to liposuction, look at before and after pictures and patient reviews. It is probably safe to arrive at the conclusion that a surgeon who has no pictures or very few pictures available for perusal is probably not going to give the kind of results you would expect. Dr. Kenneth Hughes provides hundreds of liposuction before and after pictures online and has thousands more for private viewing in his office. In addition, videos can sometimes be useful as well to present the sheer volume of cases that few plastic surgeons perform. Dr. Hughes provides prospective patients with several hundred videos to highlight his unique skill set. Videos also allow one to observe the transformations live and the surgeon who can articulate intelligently may provide more evidence of expertise.
A consultation will allow a plastic surgeon to analyze your unique attributes and determine the best course of action. Try not to intellectualize this process thought it can be tempting to do this. Just because something that the surgeon recommends does not necessarily make sense to you, you should not remove that surgeon based upon that point alone. It would be foolish to think that your research through google and online sites would make you capable of uncovering the knowledge base and experience of plastic surgeons. You should not be an expert and, if you are not absolutely certain that your surgeon is infinitely more qualified and knowledgeable than are you, then you should look for another surgeon. Dr. Kenneth Hughes offers in office consultations and Skype consultations to provide for access from patients from all over the world who seek out his services in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills.