By Sherri Roberts
sherri@mybeautifulbody.com
The two most recent plastic surgeons to join The Aesthetic Center for Plastic Surgery (ACPS), Drs. Rolando Morales and Kristi Hustak, added a prestigious new credential to their list of achievements in 2015: board certification from the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS). ABPS certification is considered one of the most important credentials when it comes to evaluating a physician’s qualifications to perform cosmetic surgery procedures. It signifies a physician has met the following standards:
- Graduation from an accredited medical school, with five years of additional training as a resident surgeon in a program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeon of Canada
- Completed residency training covering all areas of surgery, including at least three devoted entirely to plastic surgery
- Passed comprehensive written and oral examinations which cover all plastic surgery procedures
Many people might be surprised to learn that physicians trained in specialties other than plastic surgery legally can perform cosmetic surgery procedures, a financially lucrative practice that can have dangerous consequences for unsuspecting patients. ABPS certified surgeons have undergone extensive and comprehensive training not only in performing plastic surgery procedures but also in recognizing and correctly treating any complications that could arise during all stages of the surgical experience. That’s why it’s crucial that women and men interested in having a cosmetic surgery procedure verify in which specialty their prospective physician has received board certification by visiting this site: http://www.certificationmatters.org/.
Morales said, “Potential patients will continue to be offered plastic surgery by non plastic surgeons, and this trend will only get worse. This is very confusing for them, and it can lead to disastrous consequences. A real plastic surgeon is the right choice for cosmetic surgery. As ABPS says, ‘board certification matters.’”
Morales’ and Hustak’s achievements come at a dynamic juncture for ACPS, where its six board certified plastic surgeons are orchestrating plans to expand the practice and further solidify its leadership role in blending artistry with surgical precision, advanced technologies and research.
Hustak commented, “It’s an exciting time at ACPS with the establishment of our aesthetic fellowship program and our first fellow starting in 2016, the expansion of our surgical center and medical spa, and our continuing research to improve patient safety and surgical techniques. This gives us more resources to treat patients in the Houston area and beyond.”
Morales and Hustak share a vitality-infused vision for the practice, one that builds on the solid foundation its founding partners established after forming the practice in 1997. As the architect of the group’s fellowship program, which is endorsed by the prestigious American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Morales is working to strengthen ACPS’s educational relationship with the four plastic surgery residencies in Houston. Along with this, he plans to increase the practice’s research production and continue its dedication to education and patient safety.
He noted, “The partners are some of the greatest surgeons and mentors I’ve ever known. To work alongside them is an honor and privilege. I will do everything I can to [further establish] ACPS as one of the best practices in the nation. We are going to do great things!”