Cosmetic surgery procedures can be performed in a hospital, independent surgery center or an office-based surgical suite. More than half of all cosmetic surgeries are performed in office-based surgery suites.
If you have chosen a board-certified plastic surgeon who is a member of American Society of Plastic Surgery (ASPS) or American Society for Aesthetic and Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), you can be sure that the facility in which they operate is certified, as required by the professional societies. The only exceptions are minor procedures performed under local anesthesia.
If you have not chosen a board-certified cosmetic surgeon who is a member of ASPS or ASAPS, you need to look at the surgery center's certification. If the surgery is performed in a hospital or independent surgery center, you’ll be having your surgery in a licensed certified facility. Also, this means that the surgeon has been granted privileges to perform the procedure and that his or her background and training has been reviewed and approved by the medical staff of the facility.
If you’re having surgery in an office-based surgery suite, and you haven’t chosen a board-certified plastic surgeon who is a member of ASPS or ASAPS, you need to determine if the facility is accredited. The greatest area of risk to you is having surgery in an unaccredited office-based surgery center.
There are three organizations that certify hospitals, surgery centers and office-bases operating suites:
- Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO) — Accredits hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and office-based surgery centers.
- Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) — Accredits ambulatory surgery centers and office-based surgery centers.
- American Association of Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF) — Accredits ambulatory surgery centers and office-based surgery centers.
The Palo Alto Medical Foundation's cosmetic surgery department is located at three locations in the Bay Area. We have offices at the Palo Alto Center and the Mountain View office.
PAMF's cosmetic surgery department serves women and men all over the San Francisco Bay Area, including Sunnyvale, San Jose, Milpitas, Santa Clara, Cupertino and Campbell.
Learn about financing options, or contact a PAMF cosmetic surgery specialist for more information.
