Sarasota Plastic Surgery Center Blog

If you are searching for the right doctor to do your breast augmentation in Sarasota, you have one less specialty to worry about.  The ENT doctor who was performing breast augmentation recently had his license to practice medicine in Florida revoked according to the Sarasota Herald Tribune.  I will not go into detail, but you can read the story and associated articles.  He is currently appealing this decision and I will let you know if his status changes.

Knowing the time, effort, dedication and sometimes heartache it takes to become a physician, the thought of something as valuable as a license to practice medicine being taken away leaves me in utter dismay.  Why would any physician ever risk losing something that is so difficult to obtain?  The fact that a physician initially trained in ENT (ear, nose, and throat) surgery would venture into cosmetic surgery and breast augmentation is equally hard for me to understand. I imagine the Florida Board of Medicine only takes this action when they believe there is no other choice to protect patient safety.

This should serve as an example of why you should vigorously do your homework before choosing a physician to do your breast augmentation.  Look for a surgeon who is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

Also keep in mind that other specialties besides plastic surgery are still out there doing breast augmentation in Sarasota. As I stated previously in the Sarasota Plastic Surgery Center Blog, I believe most patients who have breast augmentation by these physicians believe they are being cared for by a plastic surgeon. These physicians typically call themselves “cosmetic surgeons” and probably don’t go out of their way to bring up their non-plastic surgery background.  Keep in mind, there is no ABMS recognized board of cosmetic surgery.

Again, do your homework before making such an important decision as which doctor will do your breast augmentation!  The easiest way to check board certification is through the ABMS website. You can call toll-free 1-866-ASK-ABMS (275-2267) or search online. The site does ask you to register with an email and password, but it’s worth if to make sure your physicians has the credentials you think they have.

To make it even easier for you, I have listed, in alphabetical order, all of the Sarasota based plastic surgeons who are board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (the only ABMS recognized board that certifies plastic surgeons):

• Christopher Adamson, MD
• Marguerite Barnet, MD
• Scott J. Engel, MD
• Braun H. Graham, MD
• James Marsh, MD
• David L. Mobley, MD
• Rajasekhar Nalluri, MD
• Andre, Renard, MD
• James H. Schmidt, MD
• John Strausser, MD
• Vincent VanWinkle, MD

Again, I hope this helps you in your search for the right surgeon to do your breast augmentation.  It’s a jungle out there and this is my attempt to help find your way through it.

A patient asked me today about a surgeon in Sarasota who is performing breast augmentation because she could not verify that he was a plastic surgeon. I explained to her that the surgeon she mentioned was an Oral Surgeon who had done an additional fellowship in order to learn cosmetic surgery. The reason she couldn’t verify his plastic surgery credentials because he is NOT board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

Next came the question any patient might ask if they knew his credentials in detail, “Why would an Oral Surgeon be performing breast augmentation?” I replied that I didn’t know, but suspected it was because cosmetic surgery is more lucrative than extracting wisdom teeth (and certainly more interesting).  Admittedly this is just my opinion, since I don’t know how lucrative or interesting extracting wisdom teeth is.  For all I know, it may be quite thrilling.

Besides Plastic Surgery, the specialties that you will find performing breast augmentation in Sarasota include two peculiar choices, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and ENT Surgery (aka Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery).  When I mention this to patients, I usually get an incredulous look and a question like “How is this possible/legal?” This is probably the same reaction I would get if I began offering wisdom tooth extraction as one of my services. (Don’t worry! I have no desire to do this! Plus, I wasn’t trained to do this in my plastic surgery residency and there is probably a lot more to it than I imagine.)

My patient indicated she was totally unaware of the doctor’s Oral Surgery background and would never consider having someone initially trained in oral surgery do her breast augmentation, no matter how much additional training they had completed. I indicated that in Florida she has a choice and it is up to her to do her homework and find the doctor she wants for her surgery.

Admittedly, I am a little biased in this matter because I decided early on that I was interested in plastic surgery.  I completed an ACGME approved plastic surgery residency in order to obtain, in my opinion, the best possible training in my field. I trained many extra years and passed a very intensive written and oral board examination in order to receive plastic surgery board certification. Having doctors with uncertain credentials and far less training, posing as plastic surgeons is particularly disturbing to me.

Given complete disclosure by their potential surgeon, I believe most patents would choose a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon to perform their breast augmentation. I fear most patients who choose an oral surgeon or ear nose and throat surgeon do not realize the doctor performing their breast augmentation is not a board certified plastic surgeon.

Listed below, in alphabetical order, are the surgeons who practice primarily in Sarasota and are listed by the American Society of Plastic Surgery as being board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (the only ABMS recognized board that certifies plastic surgeons):

• Chistopher Adamson, MD
• Marguerite Barnet, MD
• Scott J. Engel, MD
• Braun H. Graham, MD
• James Marsh, MD
• David L. Mobley, MD
• Rajasekhar Nalluri, MD
• Andre, Renard, MD
• James H. Schmidt, MD
• John Strausser, MD
• Vincent VanWinkle, MD

Hopefully this will help you in your search for the right surgeon to do your breast augmentation. Obviously, I would suggest a physician who is board certified in plastic surgery by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.   Any doctor you are considering who practices in Sarasota that is not listed above, is not a board certified plastic surgeon. Finally, ask yourself, “Do I really want an Oral Surgeon or Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeon performing my breast augmentation?”