Nigel Tapiwa Mabvuure
Patients seeking information of cosmetic or aesthetic surgery on the internet are faced with enormous sources of information. Unfortunately, many of these information sources are not affiliated to professional plastic surgey associations or practicing board-certified plastic surgeons hence may be misleading. I hope this list will give people seeking information a heads up on where to find validated opinions and approaches.
This is the website of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), the organisation of qualified plastic surgeons in the USA. It is a well designed website which is very easy to use and navigate. This website provides very detailed information on both reconstructive and aesthetic plastic surgical procedures with a few articles written in Spanish. The website also has a very helpful gallery showing possible results from the various procedures, as well as 3D animations of various procedures so you understand what will be happening. The website also allows patients to search for board-certified plastic surgeons near them and has a page for general plastic surgery news.
This is a highly authoritative website with information which is relevant to patients beyond the USA.
The British Association for Plastic Reconstructive anad Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS) is, like ASPS in the USA, the foremost organisation representing fully qualified plastic surgeons in the UK. BAPRAS is therefore regarded as the authority in plastic surgery matters in the UK.
The BAPRAS website also provides detailed information about procedures in a language understandable to everyone. These guides are also downloadable and printable. The BAPRAS website has a very helpful page which guides people considering plastic surgery on how to approach the whole surgical journey from deciding you want an operation to aftercare. It then also has a page with a list of questions to ask your surgeon in case you do not know what to ask. BAPRAS give their reccommendations on these questions so you should ask your surgeon to explain if their answer is different to BAPRAS. These parts of the websites to any patient from anywhere in the world.
Specific to UK patients, there is a list of the procedures that are funded through the NHS. Patients can also search for BAPRAS registered plastic surgeons near them, as well read about the history of plastic surgery.
This is a very high quality, unbiased website giving authoritative information on all aspects of plastic surgery: a reccommended browse.
BAAPS or the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons is another UK organisation representing aesthetic/cosmetic surgeons. The difference between BAPRAS and BAAPS is that BAAPS deals exclusively with cosmetic surgery issues whereas BAPRAS does both recontsructive and aesthetic. They are independent organisations but work very closely together. In fact, many BAAPS members will also be BAPRAS members and vice versa. Confused? Just means two bodies whose job is to ensure you have a positive surgical experience.
Like the BAPRAS and ASPS websites, BAAPS provides detailed information on a wide range of procedures in a very readable form as well as a directory of BAAPS certified surgeons. A particularly prominent feature on the BAAPS website is the "Safety in Surgery" menu option. The Consumer Safety Guidelines give reccommendations on what you can do to maximise the safety of your procedure. There is also a link to the Department of Health's review of how cosmetic surgery procedures are regulated in the UK. For those wanting really indepth knowledge on the cosmetic surgery field, this is a good read which is VERY empowering to patients.
A reliable, unbiased website by a society of fully qualified UK cosmetic surgeons: a reccommended browse.
ASAPS or the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery is an American organisation representing plastic surgeons who carry out aesthetic procedures. Unlike ASPS which represents both aesthetic and reconstructive surgeons in America, ASAPS focuses solely on aesthetic/cosmetic surgery. This distinction is important as not all plastic surgeons perform aesthetic procedures. However, like in the UK, there is a lot of overlap between ASAPS and ASPS and these organisations work closely together to ensure your safety throughout your surgical journey.
The ASAPS website provides enter link description here, a comprehensive resource with detailed information on surgical procedures, injectables as well as a menu option dedicated to men's procedures. There is also a very detailed and extensive gallery showing changes that are achievable with particular procedures. This can be helpful if you cant visualise what the procedure you're thinking of can achieve. Should you still have further questions even before you have decided on having surgery, you will be able to submit your question to be answered by a qualified plastic surgeon.
If you have decided on surgery, you'll find the Planning Toolkit extremely useful. Aside from detailing what to expect before during and after the procedure, there are also patient stories which some find helpful in their decision. You can then find an ASAPS surgeon from their search box if you wish. There is also a list of average prices for most procedures which will empower you. It is important to state that the cost to you of course will depend on your particular case but you should at least be able to ask for detailed costings if the price quoted is way over the ASAPS averages. Finally, there are free checklists which you can use to make sure you've covered all the bases including those you didn't know you had to cover.
Again, a very reliable and unbiased source of information and a highly reccommended browse.
