Warning: Not All Doctors Qualified To Do Plastic Surgery

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ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. — Together with the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), the world’s largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons, patients are sharing their stories to warn consumers that not all “doctors” are qualified to perform plastic surgery.

Just in time for New Year’s, a time when many people begin considering ways to improve their appearance, ASPS is launching a new public safety campaign designed to help consumers understand how to make informed decisions about plastic surgery.

As more and more stories about plastic surgery nightmares in the hands of unqualified practitioners surface, ASPS says that anecdotally many of their member surgeons are seeing the same, troubling trend. ASPS President Scot Glasberg, M.D.  says that members are seeing an increase in requests to “fix” botched surgeries, many of which were originally done by doctors who are not board-certified to perform plastic surgery.

“Plastic surgery is real surgery and patients need to do their homework before they undergo any plastic surgery procedure,” says Glasberg. “People spend more time selecting the model and color of a car than they do selecting their plastic surgeon. That needs to change.”

ASPS is hoping to change that by raising public awareness by sharing stories like the health ordeal suffered by Nafsika Lourentzatos, a New York City event planner who received silicone breast injections from a non-certified doctor.

“The doctor just promised me the world and beyond. And when you want something so badly, you overlook things and you tend to believe them. I figured the silicone injections were something safe for me to try,” said Lourentzatos.

The injections were so dangerous that eventually Lourentzatos needed to have both breasts removed. She is recounting her story in an emotional and revealing video for ASPS as a way to warn other patients.

“I want other women to know that they should do their homework before choosing a doctor because it’s so important. I just wish I had done that for myself,” she says.

ASPS member surgeon Ron Israeli, M.D. performed Lourentzatos’ reconstructive surgeries. He says that her situation, unfortunately, is becoming more common.

“When you see what happens to real people and the kinds of additional surgeries and complications patients have to suffer through, it really sends the message home,” says Israeli. “The message that the American Society of Plastic Surgeons is trying to share is that it’s critical to do your homework and that there are real people who can suffer significant consequences when they don’t.”

Tips for verifying your doctor’s qualifications:

  1. Ask if your doctor is board certified in plastic surgery
  2. Look for a certificate in the doctor’s office that includes the seal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons
  3. Go to www.plasticsurgery.org and click on “Find a Surgeon” to determine if your doctor is listed on the ASPS site. All members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons are required to be certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and are required to only operate in accredited facilities.

Lourentzatos’ heart wrenching story can be seen atplasticsurgery.org/doyourhomework as part of ASPS’s new patient safety campaign.
About ASPS
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) is the world’s largest organization of board- certified plastic surgeons. Representing more than 7,000 Member Surgeons, the Society is recognized as a leading authority and information source on aesthetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS comprises more than 94 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States. Founded in 1931, the Society represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. ASPS advances quality care to plastic surgery patients by encouraging high standards of training, ethics, physician practice and research in plastic surgery. You can learn more and visit the American Society of Plastic Surgeons atPlasticSurgery.org or Facebook.com/PlasticSurgeryASPS orTwitter.com/ASPS_News.

Media Contact:
Shannon McCormick, 614-477-2719 or 614-932-9950,  Shannon@MediaSourceTV.com

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Nafsika Lourentzatos, of Queens, New York, underwent a breast enhancement procedure by silicon injections without knowing about the doctor performing the procedure or the risks involved. As a result, Lourentzatos had to undergo several corrective and breast reconstructive surgeries that were this time performed by a board-certified plastic surgeon. Together with the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, she`s sharing her story to urge patients to do their homework before undergoing any surgery.

Without knowing much about the doctor or risks involved, Nafsika Lourentzatos, of Queens, New York, got silicon injections to enhance her breasts. As a result, Lourentzatos was left disfigured and had to have her breasts removed and reconstruction was performed by a board-certified plastic surgeon. Together with the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, she`s sharing her story to urge patients to do their homework before undergoing any surgery.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is implementing a national educational campaign to encourage patients to ask the right questions before undergoing any plastic surgery. The campaign features a patient who shares her story about her nightmare and highlights the importance of doing your homework and seeking a board-certified plastic surgeon.

Without knowing about the doctor or risks involved, Nafsika Lourentzatos, of Queens, New York received silicone injections to enhance her breasts, resulting in the need for a mastectomy. Her reconstruction as performed by a board-certified plastic surgeon and in an effort to urge other patients to avoid the same mistake, Lourentzatos is teaming up with the American Society of Plastic Surgeons in a new educational campaign called `Do Your Homework.`

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) says patients who are considering plastic surgery in the new year need to do their homework before undergoing any procedure. As part of an education campaign, ASPS is sharing the story of a real patient who suffered medical tragedy at the hands of unqualified providers.

In a new education campaign, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons is urging patients to fully understand the risks of plastic surgery and to carefully research doctors before undergoing any plastic surgery. The `Do Your Homework` campaign features the story of a real-life patient who suffered tragically at the hands of an unqualified provider and offers tips to help others avoid similar medical nightmares.



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