Most of my patients will not recognize the title as a Bob Dylan song, but it has really made me think over the past few months. The world is a much different place since I opened Yager Plastic Surgery in 1997. For one, I now have Yager Esthetics, a AAAASF accredited Surgery Center with 6000sf of spa, offices and a laser center.

I used to do 3 or 4 cases a week and think I was a busy cosmetic plastic surgeon. Now, if I only have 3 or 4 cases in a day, I feel like I am not doing well. My staff is 10 times larger, and so are my bills! My Spanish has become much more fluent, and I have been able to connect to so many wonderful people in the community.

The cosmetic surgery world has changed, but not always for the better. I have great new treatments for skin tightening and fading scars and stretch marks, and have expanded our offerings of injectables and spider vein therapy. New products have been super as well. This is all good.

The problem is the expansion of non plastic surgeons into the plastic surgery procedures. People have the nerve to call their practices Plastic Surgery or Cosmetic Surgery when some are not even surgeons, let alone Board Certified Plastic Surgeons. Ob/gyn’s, Internal Medicine, Family Practitioners, Podiatrists, Dentists, and Rehab Medicine practitioners advertise for liposuction, breast surgery and tummy tucks! Frightening. You can find the number of actual surgeons in each country in these cosmetic surgery statistics in 2020. I’m sure it won’t match up with the number of people offering cosmetic surgery.

Please do not be deceived. It is not illegal for any licensed MD in NY to do a plastic surgery procedure, it is just important that you know what the training of the person is. Board Certified can mean any board- only the ABPS can certify a Plastic Surgeon. A Facial Plastic Surgeon is an ENT, Cosmetic Medicine is a made up field, Board Certified Surgeon is a General Surgeon, and Cosmetic Surgery or liposuction specialist means nothing.

You are free to choose, but take a minute, go to www.plasticsurgery.org and type in the name of your doctor. If he or she is not there, they are not a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, no matter how nice the office is or the advertisement. You don’t have to come to me, just do not make a mistake you may regret always.