How To Choose A Good Plastic Surgeon

At a minimum, you should be sure to research the doctor's qualifications and medical record with the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the California Medical Boad. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is a great resource for finding more information on general plastic surgery as well as procedural information and statistics.

The American Board of Medical Specialists (ABMS) is the agency that oversees sub-specialty boards. More than 100 "boards" have been submitted to the ABMS for formal approval, but only 24 have met their strict educational and examination criteria.

* The American Board of Plastic Surgery is the only ABMS board that has traditionally overseen the training and certification of cosmetic and reconstructive surgeons.

Dr. Rajagopal is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Dr. Rajagopal is also a memeber of the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons and the California Society of Plastic Surgeons.

You may call the ABMS at 1-800-776-2378 to see if your surgeon is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Other boards have less strict criteria for certification and some require only a fee. So please be careful when you see "Board Certified" after a MD's name.

A few of the boards which have NOT been approved by the ABMS are as follows:

• Aesthetic Plastic Surgery/ Plastic Esthetic Surgery
• Cosmetic Plastic Surgery/ Dermatological Surgery
• Facial Cosmetic Surgery/ Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery
• Facial Plastic Surgery/ Cosmetic Surgeon

You may also want to call the local hospital and ask the Medical Staff secretary whether your surgeon has privileges to perform the proposed procedures in the hospital.

Anesthesia Options

Whenever you are heavily sedated or have general anesthesia, you put your life in the hands of person administering the medications and monitoring your vital signs. You need to know the qualifications of the person assuming that responsibility. Training can range from specialization after earning a medical degree (anesthesiologists), to specialization after nursing training (nurse anesthetists), to nursing training only.

We have chosen to use Board-Certified anesthesiologists and certified registered nurse Anesthetists for all of our general anesthesia and for monitored anesthesia care. We choose professionals who are in active practice at a hospital because we believe their skills will be at the highest level in the event of an emergency.

Our Surgery Center

An important aspect of your care relates to the quality of systems in place for insuring your safety during and after surgery. Our operating and recovery rooms are equipped to hospital standards. Registered Nurses who are certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support are with patients during their stay in our recovery room.

Our surgical center is accredited by the Institute of Medical Quality Ambulatory Program ( a subsidiary of the California Medical Association) as an outpatient surgery center and ambulatory care facility, our fully licensed in-suite facility meets rigorous national standards.

Our center is devoted to medical and surgical excellence, offering comprehensive surgery services. The experience of the medical staff, the design and location, the selection of equipment, and the entire medical and surgical process are constantly updated in order to optimize each patient's surgical experience, safety, comfort and well-being.

To accommodate patients who prefer a hospital setting, Dr. Rajagopal holds surgical privileges at California Pacific Medical Center, and St. Lukes Hospital.

If you have any questions, or wish to schedule a consultation with Dr. Rajagopal, please call the San Francisco Plastic Surgery & Laser Center at 415-392-3333.