FAQ

Almost everyone has heard that they should look for “board-certification” when seeking a qualified plastic surgeon (or any other physician for that matter). Most people don’t really understand exactly what this means and what is involved in becoming “board-certified.” Even fewer people know about certification of operating facilities, who certifies them and what protections such certification offers. We believe patients need this information to make informed choices in their search for the right surgeons, surgery facility, and anesthesia provider. The American Board of Medical Specialist (ABMS) is the agency which 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–one of which is Plastic Surgery. The American Board of Plastic Surgery is the only ABMS board that has traditionally overseen the training and certification of plastic surgeons. At our St. Louis plastic surgery office, we have gone to great effort and expense to ensure the highest standard of safety for our patients. As you consider plastic surgery, we hope this information will help you evaluate the choices available to you. *You may call the ABMS at 1-800-776-2378 or visit them at ABMS.org to find out if your surgeon is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. When you provide the name of your physician, they will tell you if and when he or she was certified. Certification by other non-ABMS boards does not give you the same protection. Other boards have less stringent criteria for certification; some requiring only a fee and no training. You may also want to call a hospital, local to your physician, and ask the Medical Staff Office secretary whether your surgeon has privileges to perform the proposed procedures in the hospital.

Being certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) lets you know our surgeons have received extensive training in one of the most extensive specialty programs. They have each trained for at least six years after medical school and passed the rigorous examinations required to earn board-certification from the ABPS. The American Board of Plastic Surgery is a select group of surgeons. Not all doctors that are board-certified have been certified by the ABPS. Of the 24 specialty boards, the American Board of Plastic Surgery is the only one specific to plastic surgery of the face and all areas of the body. Please visit our patient information section for more information on making an informed decision.

Out of all the procedures that fully-trained, board-certified plastic surgeons perform, our physicians have found that the most requested procedures are breast augmentation, liposuction, tummy tuck (abdominoplasty), facial rejuvenation, and eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty).

While the specialty of plastic surgery is very broad, the physicians at Renaissance Plastic Surgery have chosen to focus on cosmetic plastic surgery. Their primary focus is cosmetic surgery of the face (including facelift and rhinoplasty), breast, and body. Each physician is fully trained in all areas of plastic surgery and each has an area of special interest. Our physicians perform more breast augmentation, abdominoplasty, and liposuction procedures than any other practice in St. Charles County.

Combining more than one procedure is very common and has certain advantages. It can reduce the number of times that you would need anesthesia and often will improve upon the results. A majority of our patients request procedures that work well together to obtain desired results, such as hip liposuction with a tummy tuck or fat transfer with a facelift. Our primary concern is your safety. Which surgeries can be safely performed for you will be determined by your physician and are based on your overall health and the surgeries being contemplated.

It is our goal to offer you a comfortable, professional experience at Renaissance Plastic Surgery. For your convenience, we offer an overview of what to expect during your initial consultation appointment with our physicians. Should you have additional questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call us. It is our goal to provide you with the best possible experience with our caring professional staff.

Your safety is our primary concern regardless of the procedure. Any surgical procedure involves risk. You can expect your physician to thoroughly discuss the specific risks of any given procedure at your consultation. We want to ensure that you understand them completely and are comfortable with your decision to proceed.

Though follow-up care varies according to the procedure, it is a general practice of the physicians to see you the day after your surgery. Additional follow-up care will consist of two to five appointments. If further time is needed, we will make a point of seeing you as often as necessary to ensure your well-being and satisfaction. We hope to provide a comfortable experience for you with our convenient, post-operative entrance and a dedicated nursing staff whose priority is patient care. As has always been the practice philosophy, all of your cosmetic post-operative care is at no charge. Also, at any future time, you can discuss any new areas of concern with your physician in a full, one-hour consultation at no charge.

Absolutely! This type of breast augmentation is performed through smaller openings and uses a special technique that limits tissue injury, thereby generating very little discomfort. With this special technique, used in combination with an anti-bruising medication provided prior to surgery, often patients may return to most normal activities in as little as three days.

A pain pump assists in pain control by delivering a continual supply of anesthetic to the surgical area for up to three days after the procedure. Our physicians have found the pain pump to be very effective in the recovery phase, especially for the abdominoplasty procedure, often allowing our St. Louis tummy tuck patients to resume normal activities faster. Even though other physicians may choose to use the pain pump for a breast augmentation procedure, our physicians have found that most patients find it to be more of a nuisance and completely unnecessary for the rapid recovery breast augmentation performed by Renaissance Plastic Surgery physicians.

Yes, we do. Please refer to our financing section for detailed information.