Certification Guide: What the Labels Mean

421 listings. Shown on a listing when the national certifying board directory confirms the surgeon holds current certification from the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

The surgeon completed accredited residency training in plastic surgery and passed the examinations of the American Board of Plastic Surgery, the national board for the specialty. This is the central credential this directory uses for plastic surgery, and it is the label patients should look for first.

It does not guarantee a particular result, and it does not by itself show experience with your exact procedure. A certified surgeon may still rarely perform the operation you are considering, so ask about procedure-specific experience at the consultation.

3 listings. Used when a practice listing is associated with ABPS-certified surgeons as a group, rather than as a single named individual record.

The practice listing is tied to ABPS-certified surgeons at the group level. Always confirm which individual surgeon would perform your procedure and verify that surgeon's own certification.

It does not certify every clinician at the practice, and it does not replace checking the individual surgeon who would operate on you.

55 listings. Shown when a surgeon or practice states a certification that this directory could not independently confirm in the sources checked, or when a previously held certification is no longer current.

The certification is described as the surgeon or practice describes it, and labeled honestly as unverified. Patients should verify such claims themselves before relying on them.

It does not mean the claim is false, and it does not mean the surgeon is unqualified. It means only that this directory could not verify it from the sources checked, so the claim is presented as a claim, not as a fact.

100 listings. Shown when no certification information was found in the sources checked for that listing.

The directory takes no position on the surgeon's certification. If certification matters to your decision, ask the practice directly and verify the answer through the checks described below.

It does not mean the surgeon holds no certification. It means this directory found no usable evidence either way, and no certification is asserted for the listing.

39 listings. Shown when the surgeon's certification is from a board focused on facial plastic surgery rather than the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

The surgeon holds certification from a facial plastic surgery board, reflecting training and examination focused on the face and neck. Such surgeons may be well suited to facial procedures, and patients should still confirm the credential and ask about experience with the exact procedure.

It does not mean the surgeon is ABPS-certified, and it should not be read as equivalent to ABPS certification. Facial boards reflect focused training in the face and neck, which is a different scope from general plastic surgery training.

70 listings. Shown when the surgeon's certification comes from a board other than the American Board of Plastic Surgery or a facial board, for example a board in another surgical specialty.

The surgeon holds certification from a board outside plastic surgery and facial plastic surgery. Patients should ask what that training covered, how it relates to the planned procedure, and how much procedure-specific experience the surgeon has.

It does not mean the surgeon is ABPS-certified, and it does not by itself establish training in plastic surgery. The relevance of another board depends on the procedure: a related surgical background may be relevant, or it may not be.