With the explosion of internet marketing more and more people are seeking good quality information before they commit. How can they separate the wheat from the chaff?
This is particularly true in Cosmetic facial surgery.

With this in mind I felt compelled to write a short series of articles to dispel some of the so called myths regarding facial cosmetic surgery. Did you know that in the United Kingdom there is no formal procedure based training of surgeons in cosmetic surgery? The national health service provides funding for cosmetic surgery procedures for individual patients but only in rare and exceptional cases. In the UK we are lagging behind the USA.

Without this it is subject to abuse of practice, variable standards and medico legal malpractice.

Where does this leave our client? How do they find a surgeon of their choice? This leads me to dispel a myth regarding cosmetic surgery, particularly facial cosmetic surgery. Did you know that there are at least five different types of specialist surgeons who regularly perform cosmetic surgery of which plastic surgeons are only one group? Let me explain further.

There are 850 to 900 surgeons in the UK who have completed a recognized training program where there is some aspect of cosmetic surgery training as part of their curriculum leading to the specialty fellowship examinations.

This group comprises:

1. 500 Ear Nose and Throat Surgeons

2. 350 Plastic Surgeons

3. 100 Breast Surgeons

4. 80 Eye Surgeons

5. 280 Oral Surgeons

A significant proportion of these surgeons undertake cosmetic procedures "within their anatomical areas of expertise". This last point is perhaps the most important factor!

Take for example the Ear, Nose and Throat surgeons who are very often called upon to perform corrective surgery on the nose for functional reasons such as breathing disorders, trauma or congenital disorders. The scientific principles of the ENT specialist combines with the artistry of the plastic surgeon.

The rhinoplasty, commonly called the "Nose Job" enables the ear,nose and throat surgeon to perfect his training in both functional and cosmetic aspects nasal surgery. This same principle applies to surgery of the neck and the so called neck lift too! So if you require a nose job, it makes good sense to see a site specific experienced rhinoplasty Surgeon, usually an ear,nose and throat specialist.

The ophthalmologists who carry out highly specialized eyelid surgery are called Oculoplastic surgeons. Unfortunately their numbers are small. The training in cosmetic surgery and medicine should be regulated for the good of the general public. It should be governed by numerous factors of which site specificity, ultra specialization and the numbers of surgical procedures performed during training and after training are mandatory. This is crucial in the facial plastic field.If a surgeon wishes to specialize in the facial plastic surgery, they should be members of a peer review group such as the European academy of facial plastic surgery, an open source forum of surgeons of differing specialties dedicated to this area. This amalgamation of cosmetic surgery training between the various surgical specialties is not a personal view it is being addressed now by the cosmetic surgery inter specialty group and the senate of surgery of Great Britain and Ireland.

What we need in Facial Cosmetic surgery is clinical governance. I will keep you posted on this fascinating subject as a source of information.