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Cosmetic and plastic surgery regulations and organisations in Europe
The EU is a grouping of European countries with shared goals - One of its chief features is the free movement of labour, services and goods. In order to achieve this much effort has gone into harmonization of standards. These standards have a high international reputation and are often adopted beyond the EU's boundaries.
Our most popular medical tourism destintions in Europe are: Poland and Hungary.
Qualifications
You may have heard of Board Certified: Harmonized EU medical guidelines place the training time for plastic surgeons at a minimum of 5 years* - in addition to initial medical qualifications.
Once this training is successfully completed the surgeon is board certified at a national level. This specialist training is given equal weight across Europe and given the appropriate language skills a specialist in one country should be able to follow the same specialty in any EU country.
In Europe plastic surgeons may opt to become European Board Qualified - This may be regarded as a 'complementary' qualification. It is not required in but can be seen as a step towards the full harmonization of the profession in Europe.
Why is this important?
Confidence in your surgeon is vital. Trace the qualifications your surgeon has taken - check they keep their training up to date. See how many operations of the kind you are taking the surgeon has performed.
The resources section has links to help reassure you that the surgeon has the qualifications listed - each link is for a national or international organization of the highest standing that keeps up to the minute records of the surgeons registered.
Check the surgeon who is going to perform the operation is the surgeon whose qualifications you have checked - These precautions are ones you should take at home as well as overseas. Strangely, people are often more careful to check they have the best surgeon when going abroad for treatment than they would be in a local hospital.
Specialist Qualifications
Modern medicine is very specialized - Plastic surgery itself is a specialty. Plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery covers a huge range of skills. A common division is between surgery of the body and surgery of the head or neck.
As with general plastic surgery a number of qualifications overlap and complement each other. Otorhinolaryngology (head and neck surgery) is a surgical specialty recongnized by the EU - it can go by different names in different countries:
- Otorynolaryngologia in Poland
- Fül-orr-gégegyógyászat in Hungary
- etc.
The specialty takes 3 years of training - so a plastic surgeon with a specialization in head and neck surgery will have a minimun of 8 years training in addition to his medical degree.
Why is this important?
Following who is best qualified to do what is hard work. You may be qualified in plastic surgery but not specialized in surgery of the head and neck - You may be specialized in head and neck surgery and not a plastic surgeon.
Check the record of the surgeon you are interested in for the operation you want done - The best brain surgeon is not necessarily the person you want doing a facelift.
Continuing Education
One of the central ideas of medical ethics is a dedication to continuing education, the constant updating and expansion of medical skills by all members of the medical profession.
Within Europe individual countries approach this requirement in different ways but an EU wide system of continuing education credits is becoming widely accepted. Credits should represent the same educational value whether they are obtained on a course in surgery of the nose in Bonn, Germany or a course in eyelid surgery in Athens.
Why is this important?
Best practice in medicine changes all the time. New techniques and equipment constantly become available, studies reveal benefits of one procedure over another. To keep up to date a surgeon needs to read medical journals, meet collegues, discuss and learn.
Continuous education is vital to ensure the best care possible. Ask your surgeon about which courses he has attended recently: all medical professionals should be happy to discuss their latest training.
Structure of Professional Organizations
There is a hierarchical structure of which all plastic surgeons in Europe will be part.
The International Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery
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The European Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery
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National Society (e.g. BAPRAS The British Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons)
Why is this important?
To practice plastic surgery in Europe a surgeon must belong to these societies. You can check membership online for many national societies and all are verifiable by phone or normal mail.
See the resources section for full details of International and European links and for each country covered by WhatClinic.com.
Specialist Societies
Plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery covers a huge range of skills and these are often represented by their own specialist organization. Again a similar structure of International, Regional and National societies exists.
The International Federation of Facial Plastic Surgery Societies (IFFPSS)
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European Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery
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ENT-UK (the UK society for Otorhinolaryngology)
Why is this important?
Specialization is one of the most important developments in modern medicine. The amount of knowledge and skill for any given procedure can be immense. A specialist will usually have performed the specific operation you have chosen more times then any others and they will be familar with all the variations they are likely to encounter.
Societies are one of the main mechanisms for sharing training and knowledge. They organize talks, publish papers and ensure their members reach the highest possible standards.
Resources
*These are covered by EU directive: Directive 2005/36/EC
**European Board Website
http://www.ipras.org
http://www.espras.org
Online verification
Espras has a surgeon finder - it covers all surgeons recognised by their county's national boards in Europe:
Search is by Country and City: link
If a doctor has worked in the UK his information should be online at this address
http://webcache.gmc-uk.org/gmclrmp_enu
American and International Societies
Members of the American Academy of Facial, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery can be verified here
http://www.aafprs.org/patient/finder/finder.cfm
The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgerons has an excellent facility for showing its members from around the world
http://www.isaps.org/society.php?subsection=worldmap
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