18 Sep 2025 | by Dr. Tandon
Patient safety is my number one priority. Any aesthetic procedure, even something
non-surgical, carries a certain amount of risk particularly in the hands of someone
who does not have adequate training or experience. This is one of the reasons why
I am such an advocate of seeing a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon, such as myself.
A doctor who is certified by an accredited board has undergone significant training
and accumulated years of experience. So, when patients ask: “Is Plastic Surgery
Safe?”, I always answer that your best bet is seeing someone who is Board-
Certified. I think it’s also a good idea, even with something like injectables, to
schedule an in-person consultation at a full service practice like Boston Center for
Plastic Surgery (BCPS) that includes a plastic surgeon. You want to establish a
relationship with a practice that can see you through the breadth of your aging
journey. Also, if you go to a MedSpa that only offers certain non-surgical
procedures then that is the only thing on the menu, regardless of whether or not it’s
the right treatment plan for your needs, anatomy and lifestyle.
Is Board-Certified Better?
Not all “cosmetic” surgeons are the same. And it can be hard to tell, especially
from someone’s Instagram feed, whether or not you will be safe in his or her
hands. This is one of the main reasons why Board-Certified matters. A plastic
surgeon who is board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS)
has:
- Completed accredited surgical training in reconstructive & cosmetic surgery
- Passed rigorous written & oral examinations
- Participates in on-going training & maintenance of certification, including safetyand ethics
One way to think of board certification is as a cheat sheet to excellence. This does
not mean that there aren’t good plastic surgeons out there who have not yet passed
their boards. But in this busy era where time is at a premium, having your aesthetic
work done by a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon is one of the best ways to ensure
not only an excellent aesthetic result, but one that is complication free.
What Board-Certified Means for the Patient
While it is nice to know that your plastic surgeon has undergone all of this training
to become Board-Certified, what does this really mean for you? Any aesthetic
procedure comes with a degree of risk. Surgery, which involves an incision and
anesthesia, is going to carry a higher one. I will spend considerable time during our
initial consultation and pre-op meetings going over the details of your treatment
plan and what we can both do to increase your safety before, during and after
surgery. As a plastic surgeon who is Board-Certified, my ABPS training
emphasizes:
- Anatomy
- Scar planning
- Complication management
- Sterile surgical techniques
- Sound surgical judgement
In short, it gives me the training, skill and confidence to handle any potential
complication before it becomes a dangerous issue as well as the ability to pivot
when surgical plans need to change mid-procedure. The latter is something that can
happen to even the best surgeon as things can always look different on the inside
than expected. So, the smarter you are in your choice of surgeon, the safer you will
be.
To find out more about any surgical or non-surgical procedure with Dr. Vickram
Tandon at the Boston Center for Plastic Surgery, contact us today or call (617)
402-2768 to schedule a consultation at his Boston or Chestnut Hills offices.
