Facelift Surgeon

Facelift Surgery Clinics in London & UK »

Qualifications

All surgeons must be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC). This is because all surgeons must first be qualified in a medical degree. Such a qualification will be signified in your surgeon’s information by a BM (Bachelor of Medecine) and a BS, BChir, or ChB (all meaning Bachelor of Surgery). The GMC register shows a surgeon’s primary specialty, but not other specialist qualifications.

After several years of training a qualification such as an MRCS (Membership of The Royal College of Surgeons) or FRCS (Fellowship of The Royal College of Surgeons) is gained. It is not unusual to see ‘(Eng),’ ‘(Glasg),’ or ‘(Ed)’ after the surgical specific qualification. This shows who the awarding body is: ‘(Eng)’ being England, ‘(Glasg)’ being Glasgow, and ‘(Ed)’ being Edinburgh. Your surgeon’s qualification may look like this, then: FRCS(Eng).

A surgeon may also have a specialist qualification in plastic surgery, that being FRCSPlast, or the area of the body that you want cosmetically altered, in this case, the face. A specialist in facial surgery will have the qualification FRCS(ORL) – the last part standing for otorhinolaryngology (head and neck or facial surgery). Further, a surgeon may attain a CCST (Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training) as well as a specialist qualification. The CCST signifies a consultant surgeon and therefore a higher qualification.

How to find a Facelift Surgeon

One of the best ways to find a qualified and experienced surgeon is through the NHS. This can be achieved by booking an appointment with your GP and gaining a referral from him or her. Do not worry if you will not be having the surgery under the NHS, it does not matter when seeing your GP, they will know respected professionals in the surgical occupation. They are there, not only treat but, to advise also. Certainly it is recommended even before you decide one way or the other about facelift surgery that you book for a discussion with your GP.

Where Facelift Surgeons Work

Plastic and cosmetic surgeons work all over the country so it should be easy enough to find a facelift surgeon near to you. When thinking about finding a surgeon, though, it is useful to know that on the whole cosmetic surgeons work within NHS hospitals. This is because many surgeons are NHS surgical consultants that practice private treatment as well as NHS treatment. This is why it is a good idea to contact your GP about referrals to a cosmetic surgeon: relatively few doctors work as private practice cosmetic surgeons full time and so many well-known surgeons will be found within the NHS.

Surgeons Experience

Surgery, like many areas of medicine, is a discipline that requires the medical practitioner to always be learning and practicing. Of course your surgeon’s qualifications will be a signal of how learned they are, but it is just as important for your surgeon to have experience of performing your procedure. Depending on what abbreviations follow your surgeon’s name, the qualifications that they have do not necessarily indicate that your surgeon has received cosmetic surgery training or facelift surgical training. This is why it is important for you to ask your surgeon about their previous surgeries. For instance, has he or she performed a facelift surgery in the last year? Have they performed a traditional facelift (or whatever facelift procedure you require)? Ask about patient complaints or how many revision surgeries your surgeon has completed (due to unsatisfactory results). Often surgeons have portfolios of before and after photos. Ask to see these, but be aware that bad surgeries may not have been included.

Feeling Comfortable with your Facelift Surgeon

It is extremely important that you feel comfortable with your facelift surgeon, because a good professional relationship increases the chances of a successful surgery. This is due to good communication of your desires and reasons and being able to understand what your surgeon is saying and suggesting to you.

Feeling comfortable with your surgeon will also reduce the stress and anxiety that you may experience in the lead up to your surgery. If you do think that you will not be able to build a comfortable professional relationship with your surgeon, it is worth finding a different cosmetic surgeon. You are, after all, putting your life into your surgeon’s hands; you must do this without any qualms.

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