After you have determined that your surgeon is certified, the next step is to find out if the operating facility is also certified. Surgery can be performed in a hospital, independent surgery center or an office-based surgical suite. More than half of all cosmetic surgeries are performed in office-based surgery suites.

If you have chosen a board certified plastic surgeon who is a member of American Society of Plastic Surgery (ASPS) or American Society for Aesthetic and Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), you can be sure that the facility in which they operate is certified, as required by the professional societies. The only exceptions are minor procedures performed under local anesthesia.

If you have not chosen a board certified cosmetic surgeon who is a member of ASPS or ASAPS, you need to look at the surgery center’s certification. If the surgery is performed in a hospital or independent surgery center, you will be having your surgery in a licensed certified facility. Also, this means that the surgeon has been granted privileges to perform the procedure and that his or her background and training has been reviewed and approved by the medical staff of the facility.

If you are having surgery in an office-based surgery suite and you have not chosen a board certified plastic surgeon who is a member of ASPS or ASAPS, you need to determine if the facility is accredited. The greatest area of risk to you is having surgery in an unaccredited office-based surgery center.

There are three organizations that certify hospitals, surgery centers and office-bases operating suites:

• Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO): Accredits hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and office-based surgery centers
  
• Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC): Accredits ambulatory surgery centers and office-based surgery centers
  
• American Association of Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF): Accredits ambulatory surgery centers and office-based surgery centers

The Palo Alto Medical Foundation's Cosmetic Surgery Department is located at three locations in the Bay Area. We have offices at the Palo Alto Center and the Castro Commons office on the Peninsula and then at the Fremont Center in the East Bay.

So far, we have looked at how to choose a cosmetic surgeon and to pick an accredited surgical facility. The last step is to meet with surgeon to ask questions and to make the choice that is right for you.