Whether you are referred to a physician for surgical care, or you make
the choice yourself, don't take your surgeon's qualifications for granted.
Make sure your operation is performed by a competent physician whose specialty
is surgery. It could be the most important decision you make.
Here are some qualifications to look for:
1. Board Certification
A good sign of a U.S. surgeon’s competence is board certification, meaning a surgeon holds certification by a surgical board that is approved by the American Board of Medical Specialties. In Canada, a qualified surgeon attains his or her certification by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
When you choose a surgeon who is properly certified in a surgical specialty, you are assured that he or she has completed years of residency training in his or her specialty and has demonstrated knowledge and competence by successfully completing a rigorous examination.
2. Fellowship in the American College of Surgeons
The letters F.A.C.S. (Fellow of the American College of Surgeons) after
a surgeon's name are an indication to the patient that the surgeon has
passed a thorough evaluation of both professional competence and ethical
fitness. Fellows are board-certified surgeons or, in unusual circumstances,
have met other standards comparable to board certification. A Fellow has
committed herself unequivocally to place the welfare of her patients above any other consideration; to avoid division of fees with
other physicians; to make her fees commensurate with the services she renders;
and to refrain from performing unjustified operations. In instances where
a Fellow has been found to violate these principles, she has been
subjected to disciplinary action and even has been expelled from Fellowship.
3. Practice in an Accredited Health Care Facility
Your surgeon will arrange for your operation to be performed in a hospital
or ambulatory surgery center where he has been approved for practice.
It is a good idea to make sure that the hospital is accredited by the Joint
Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), a professionally
sponsored program to stimulate a higher quality of patient care in hospitals
and other health care facilities.
There is also an accreditation option that is available for ambulatory
or outpatient surgery centers. If your operation is scheduled to be performed
in one of these facilities, you can check to see if the center has been
accredited by a nationally recognized organization such as the Joint Commission
or the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care. When a hospital
or ambulatory surgery center has voluntarily sought accreditation, it is
a good indication that the facility is committed to providing the best
possible care for its patients.
If you are unsure of a surgeon's qualifications, don't hesitate to ask
her about them or direct your inquiries to your local or state medical
society, to the hospital or facility where your operation will be performed,
to the surgical department of the nearest medical school, or to your family
physician. They will be able to tell you if a surgeon is board certified
and/or a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
To determine if a hospital or ambulatory surgery center is accredited,
contact your local or state hospital association, or call the facility
and ask if it is accredited by the Joint Commission or the Accreditation
Association for Ambulatory Health Care.
In some instances, such as during an emergency or in areas where fully
trained surgeons in all specialties are not available, the performance
of certain operations by physicians who are not surgical specialists may
be in the best interest of patients.
Surgery by Surgeons
A fully trained surgeon is a physician who, after medical school, has
gone through years of training in an accredited residency program to learn
the specialized skills of a surgeon. One good sign of a surgeon's competence
is certification by a national surgical board approved by the American
Board of Medical Specialties. All board-certified surgeons have satisfactorily
completed an approved residency training program and have passed a rigorous
specialty examination.
The letters F.A.C.S. (Fellow of the American College of Surgeons) after
a surgeon's name are a further indication of a physician's qualifications.
Surgeons who become Fellows of the College have passed a comprehensive
evaluation of their surgical training and skills; they also have demonstrated
their commitment to high standards of ethical conduct. This evaluation
is conducted according to national standards that were established to ensure
that patients receive the best possible surgical care.
If you are considering an operation, you may have further questions
in these topic areas:
Should you seek consultation?
Giving your informed
consent.