How to Choose a Plastic Surgeon: a 10-Point Checklist

Choosing the surgeon matters more than choosing the operation itself: technique can be standardized, but a doctor's experience, taste and honesty cannot. Here is a ten-point checklist I would advise any patient to complete — including those who come to me.

1. License and specialty

Verify the license in the official Ministry of Health registry. Important: the certificate must be in the specialty "Plastic Surgery", not just "Surgery" — these are different scopes of training.

2. Focused specialization

A surgeon who operates on everything is a compromise. Ask how many operations of your specific type the doctor performs per month and what share of their practice it represents.

3. A portfolio with real timelines

Before/after photos should carry stated timelines (1 week, 1 month, 1 year), not just perfect shots of unknown age. The absence of a single "difficult" case is a warning sign.

4. Honesty about risks

If the consultation contains no word about risks and possible complications, that is not optimism — it is negligence. A good surgeon raises them unprompted.

5. Willingness to say no

A telling test: ask for an operation you may not need. A doctor who declines or advises postponing or reducing the scope, when justified, thinks about the result, not the invoice.

6. Clinic standards

Surgery must be performed in a licensed operating room with an anesthesiologist on staff — not "in-office" under local anesthesia with a "sleeping pill". Ask who monitors you under anesthesia and how.

7. Transparent pricing

All cost components — before surgery, in writing. "Hidden extras" after the procedure are a direct signal to walk away.

8. Post-operative follow-up

Ask how many check-ups are included and who answers questions in the first weeks. Recovery is half of the result.

9. Reviews beyond the clinic's website

Check independent platforms (Google, specialized forums); read not only ratings but how the clinic responds to criticism.

10. Your personal comfort

You should feel comfortable asking anything and hearing honest answers. If you are rushed at the consultation or pushed by a "discount valid only today", that is selling, not medicine.

Red flags — reasons to leave

• a guaranteed result "100% without scars";
• refusal to show a license;
• pressure to book surgery "right now";
• photos without timelines and without complex cases;
• operations without an anesthesiologist where one is mandatory.

Summary

No single point guarantees success, but the full set of checks sharply reduces the risk of a mistake. And remember: the consultation is also your chance to assess the doctor. Use it.