What do you do when you’re considering plastic surgery and you want to know who has a reputable practice near you? You browse the Web. Sure, you may talk with others who have had a procedure and you may ask your family doctor for a recommendation, but chances are you will still spend hours online trying to get to know prospective surgeons. What should you be looking for?
Before you dive in, give a quick thought to the marketplace in your area to give some context to what you find on the Web. Is it a large metropolitan area or more rural? Is there vigorous competition among plastic surgeons or are there limited choices? In a smaller marketplace, plastic surgeons may not have to push so aggressively for patients. Regardless, you should find these basics covered on each Web site you visit.
General quality of the site-
The first thing to look for is general, “don’t insult me” site quality. I found one plastic surgeon in Alaska who obviously spent money on his home page and stopped there. Important words are spelled wrong, there’s no information on the procedures this doctor offers and although there’s a place to read about his background, there’s nothing there but a large, glamorous photo of the surgeon. In spite of the fact that the marketplace in Alaska is probably not too competitive, it’s hard to have confidence in a professional whose willing to portray his practice like this.
On the flip side, there’s another plastic surgeon serving the same market whose Web site is much more satisfying. Yes, there are keywords everywhere to attract search engines and there’s a list of all the possible misspellings of the surgeon’s name (for the same purpose). There are multiple opportunities on every page for you to contact the surgeon’s office. In other words, there’s no doubt you’ve had a sales pitch from this surgeon when you visit the site, but you have received information on procedures, the surgeon’s qualifications and more that makes your time well spent.
Learning tools-
It’s great when you find a Web site offering features that help you learn. In my view, every cosmetic surgeon should have at least a small gallery of before and after photos, for instance. Patients desire and deserve to see samples of the surgeon’s work. It can also move the patient closer to a decision to see others they perceive to be “just like me.” In spite of these factors, it’s amazing how awful or even nonexistent some surgeons’ galleries are.
I appreciate it when a Web site offers me more copy than I was expecting. Some sites include information on how to prepare, recovery, potential risks and more. Yes, some of the additional copy may be there chiefly to attract search engines. Nevertheless, it is costly to create and maintain a large Web site. I usually come away from robust Web sites with a good feeling about how the surgeon works with his or her patients.
Some sites offer diagrams to help you understand procedures, some have videos, a few even offer animations in 3D. All of these can add to your knowledge about the procedure you’re considering.
The surgeon's qualifications-
Full information about the surgeon is a critical part of any Web site. It's reasonable to expect a bio or a CV (resume). At very least, you should be able to find out that the doctor is board certified in plastic surgery or a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons or the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (both of which accept only board certified plastic surgeons). In the case of facial plastic surgery, finding certification by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery is appropriate.
Surprisingly, a physician is not required to be certified in plastic surgery in order to perform cosmetic surgery. It’s not unusual to find gynecologists offering breast augmentation and dermatologists performing facelifts. If the Web site doesn’t tell you that a doctor is board certified in plastic surgery, move on.
Intangibles-
Sometimes you’ll find a few other aspects of a doctor’s Web site you connect with such as features that indicate you might be in the right place. I like it when a cosmetic surgeon takes time to introduce the rest of the staff, for example. I also feel at home when the site uses photos that look like real people, not models you might see in a lingerie catalog.
You might be intrigued by a message from the plastic surgeon that seems like it comes from the heart, rather than from a flowery copywriter. You may feel inspired to find out that that your prospective plastic surgeon donates time to charity. Whatever the connection is, if you return to one surgeon’s Web site over and over and feel comfortable with what you see, that’s someone you might want to consult in person.
So, who am I to be offering this input? I’m not a practice manager, and I’m definitely not a plastic surgeon but I have written hundreds of Web pages for dozens and dozens of cosmetic surgeons. Enough to know that when a site strikes a chord with you, trust what you feel.