A recent article in Crain’s Detroit Business reports on complaints from plastic surgeons nationwide that they are performing an increasing number of revision procedures to fix botched surgeries performed by non-plastic surgeons. The article states that more and more practitioners from other specialties are trying to take advantage of the increasing popularity of cosmetic procedures. While most of the procedures in question are being performed by legitimate physicians, these individuals may simply lack sufficient experience to safely perform plastic surgeries, the article says. Even worse, some of the procedures are being performed by non-physicians such as nurses and medical technicians. This is just another reminder of something that really should be obvious: plastic surgeries should only be performed by highly qualified plastic surgeons.

However attractive a lower cost might seem to a patient, working with someone less qualified is gambling in more ways than one and the odds are not in your favor. Plastic surgery has never been safer, but it is also a highly demanding type of surgery requiring a great deal of delicacy and highly specific medical knowledge. On the one hand, getting a cut-rate procedure is putting your health and, often, your life at risk. On the other hand, correcting a botched procedure can result in truly enormous costs as well as a great deal of heartache.

Beyond avoiding a disaster, there are a number of positive reasons to take advantage of the services of a skilled plastic surgeon over even a relatively qualified doctor from another discipline. The fact of the matter is that cosmetic procedures are not just a science, but are also something of an art. Skilled plastic surgeons benefit from a strong aesthetic sense that doctors from other disciplines might not have. Procedures that look natural and truly enhance a patient’s overall appearance require a discerning eye and a deft hand, and only a competent and sensitive plastic surgeon can be relied upon to provide that.