The Internet can provide a wealth of useful information, but it can also be the source of much misinformation. A recent Internet search for plastic surgery brought up more entertainment and celebrity gossip websites than legitimate medical sites. Cleveland plastic surgery patients who rely on such sites are, at best, getting incomplete and impersonal plastic surgery advice that does not take into account their specific individual needs or medical history. At worst, some of these websites provide totally inaccurate information that has the potential to be harmful if followed. Board-certified plastic surgeons are concerned that Cleveland women and men considering cosmetic surgery could be making unsafe and unhealthy decisions about their bodies based on erroneous information obtained from such sites.
One such website invites users to "Ask an Expert" their questions about plastic surgery procedures. The site implies that questions will be personally answered by practicing plastic surgeons. All the site visitor need do to pose her question is provide an email address. The website also invites doctors to volunteer to answer patients' questions about plastic surgery. However, in a trial attempt to register as a physician, no medical credentials were requested. In fact, no information was solicited that could be used to verify medical expertise. The only information requested was email registration. One must conclude that although this popular website purports to offer physician advice about plastic surgery, it is no more than a marketing ploy to gather email addresses for the purpose of selling unspecified products. Any claim to offer legitimate plastic surgery advice must be highly suspect.
While the Internet can be a valuable information gathering tool, when seeking plastic surgery information, it is important to utilize only trusted websites from experienced board-certified plastic surgeons like Dr. J. Vicente Poblete.
One picture is worth a thousand words goes the ancient Chinese proverb. At Cleveland cosmetic and plastic surgery center Accentuate Within our caring staff understands the concerns women have when they decide to change their appearance. Customized body contouring, breast enhancement, a face lift or reshaping of the nose or any cosmetic surgery procedure is both a practical and an emotional decision for most women.
Even when the positive changes that are about to occur in their lives are eagerly anticipated, most women choosing Cleveland cosmetic surgery feel a little anxious about plastic surgery. Led by expert board-certified Cleveland plastic surgeon Dr. Vicente Poblete, the experienced staff at Accentuate Within's Avon Lake, Ohio cosmetic and plastic surgery center takes plenty of time to talk with patients about their expectations and goals for cosmetic surgery.
A customized program is designed to meet each patient's individual goals. Dr. Poblete and our staff educate patients about Cleveland cosmetic surgery procedures so that they can make well informed choices about their face and body.
On the Accentuate Within website you'll find a Patient Gallery showing before and after photos of common cosmetic surgery procedures. Read firsthand accounts chronicling the experiences of other Cleveland cosmetic surgery patients in the online Patient Diaries. The Accentuate Within staff can also arrange for you to talk to another plastic surgery patient who has already undergone the procedure you are contemplating. There's nothing more revealing or comforting than talking to another woman who has successfully experienced the same cosmetic surgery procedure. At Cleveland cosmetic surgery center Accentuate Within, we understand how helpful it can be to talk to woman-to-woman with another patient about her actual surgery, her recovery experience and how the cosmetic surgery procedure has positively changed her life.
As one happy patient noted – "DON'T GIVE UP ON YOUR BODY!"
Reality television personality Heidi Montag's revelation on Good Morning America earlier this week that she underwent 10 cosmetic surgery procedures in a single day last November shocked viewers and unleashed a firestorm of outrage and debate in the press and on the blogosphere. Concern seemed to be directed most at the questionable necessity and safety of a 23-year-old woman undergoing so many elective cosmetic surgery procedures and the example Heidi's choices set for young fans who have followed her career since she caught the public's notice during three seasons on The Hills.
Heidi's on-air revelation followed her comment in last week's People magazine that she was "beyond obsessed" with plastic surgery. On Good Morning America, Heidi defended her decision, saying, "I'm living in my skin, and I look in the mirror and it's my career and my life, and you only have one. So, I want to take advantage of everything and be the best me, in and out, every way."
Heidi told Good Morning America she underwent cosmetic surgery procedures to her brows, neck, chin, jaw, nose, cheeks, lips, waist, hips and thighs all in a single surgery session and had previously had a nose job and breast augmentation. She said she plans to go undergo additional cosmetic surgery in the future to further increase her breast size from triple-D to H. When asked how she felt about the results of her cosmetic surgery procedures, Heidi said, "I think I look like myself. I think I just look like a different, improved version of myself."
Some of Heidi's The Hills cast mates were among many who expressed concern about the effect publicity about Heidi's choices might have on young girls. On the All Headline News website, The Hills' Lo Bosworth was quoted as saying, "I hope that girls don't...look at the decisions that Heidi made and think that's normal...I would never want young girls to read that and think it's the standard that they need to be measured by."
The controversy surrounding Heidi's cosmetic surgery choices emphasizes the critical necessity of choosing a board-certified plastic surgeon you can trust who has the professional experience and deep commitment to his patients' well-being, safety and good health to educate you about all of the options available to reach your personal appearance goals. A dedicated cosmetic surgeon will take the time to discuss the long-term implications of various plastic surgery options, offer alternatives and guide you toward healthy choices.
Dr. Poblete and the staff at Accentuate Within Cosmetic & Plastic Surgery Center in Avon Lake, Ohio work closely with each patient to develop a specialized personal care program to ensure that every patient meets her appearance goals effectively and safely. Dr. Poblete may recommend that contemplated surgeries be spaced at intervals to allow the patient to become comfortable with the results of the first surgery before deciding if additional procedures are necessary.
In our Patient Diaries download, you can read Wendy's Story. A 34-year-old Cleveland woman, Wendy came to us seeking a tummy tuck and breast implants to remove post-baby sag, but confessed she wasn't completely comfortable with silicone implants. Dr. Problete listened to her concerns and was able to suggest an alternative he felt would provide even better results. As Wendy says, "To my surprise [Dr. Poblete] informed me I would not need implants and that I would be very satisfied with a full tummy tuck and breast lift." After her surgery, Wendy commented, "I have never felt so good about looking in the mirror at myself...My breasts are lifted and fuller and no longer hide in my armpits when I lay in bed at night. Both my husband and I are happy."
Honorable plastic surgeons like Dr. Problete who value their patients' well-being have your health and welfare at heart and will guide you to the safest, most effective cosmetic surgery procedures to help you achieve your appearance goals.
Choosing the right plastic surgeon can dramatically affect your patient experience and satisfaction with the results of the procedure. Critically important are the credentials, training and experience of the cosmetic surgeon you choose.
Ask these questions of your surgeon:
- Are you certified by American Board of Plastic Surgery? Board certification ensures that your plastic surgeon has successfully completed required education at an accredited medical school and a minimum 5-year surgical residency with at least 2 years devoted to plastic surgery. Board certification also requires that the board-certified plastic surgeon pass comprehensive oral and written exams.
- Are you a member of American Society of Plastic Surgeons? Founded in 1931, ASPS is the largest international plastic surgery specialty organization. Its mission is to advance quality care to plastic surgery patients by encouraging high standards of training, ethics, practice and research. Membership ensures patients that their plastic surgeon has met the strict requirements of the organization, is board certified and adheres to the highest standards of surgical practice and patient care.
- Are you a member of American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery? Founded in 1967, ASAPS is an elite organization of board-certified plastic surgeons whose mission is to advance the science, art and safe practice of cosmetic plastic surgery. Only one-quarter of board-certified plastic surgeons meet the rigorous educational, experience and superlative professional standards required for membership.
- What is your training and experience in plastic surgery? A plastic surgeon who meets the highest professional standards will be board certified by both his state and the American Board of Plastic Surgery. In addition to achieving his Doctor of Medicine from an accredited medical school, your plastic surgeon should have a minimum of 5 years of surgical training in an accredited medical residency program with at least 2 years exclusively devoted to plastic surgery.
- Beware of "Board-Certified." There are a lot of practitioners who will say they are "board-certified." More important is – "Board-certified in what?" Would you feel safe entrusting your body to someone who is "board-certified in emergency medicine," or "board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology" – to name a few? Would you let your plastic surgeon deliver your baby?