To find out more about choosing a cosmetic surgeon in Bethesda, Maryland, or to learn more about Dr. Oldham’s credentials, contact us by filling out the form below.
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Patients looking for a cosmetic surgeon in the Bethesda, Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Washington, DC area have a wide selection of surgeons to choose from. It is important to carefully evaluate the qualifications of these surgeons before selecting one for your cosmetic surgery. Different cosmetic surgeons vary greatly in their levels of qualification.
A board certified plastic surgeon with more than 20 years of experience, Dr. Oldham is an established leader in the plastic surgery community of the Washington metropolitan area. Selected as a member of the prestigious American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, this designation recognized Dr. Oldham as one of the nation's surgeons whose academic training and surgical skills have earned recognition as a specialist in cosmetic plastic surgery.
Cosmetic surgeons who have qualified for membership in the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) represent the pinnacle of their profession. These surgeons have attained the “highest level of achievement in cosmetic surgical training, continuing education and clinical experience.”*
“The requirements for membership in the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) are designed to encourage application by trained and experienced plastic surgeons who concentrate their practices in performing cosmetic plastic surgery of the face and the entire body. ASAPS membership remains an exclusive privilege for those surgeons who possess the necessary qualifications. Only about one-quarter of all American Board of Plastic Surgery certified surgeons have been accepted into ASAPS membership. Physicians who have been trained in specialties other than plastic surgery are not eligible for membership in ASAPS."
If you are thinking about having cosmetic surgery performed, we suggest you look for an ASAPS surgeon and also evaluate the following criteria when considering a cosmetic surgeon.
Your cosmetic surgeon should be board certified in plastic surgery by The American Board of Plastic Surgery. This is important because a physician can be board certified without being board certified specifically in plastic surgery. Any licensed physician may perform plastic surgery, regardless of whether he or she has specialty training in this area. Board certification by The American Board of Plastic Surgery ensures your cosmetic surgeon has graduated from an accredited medical school, undergone a minimum of five years additional residency training, and is trained specifically in the medical specialty area of plastic surgery.
Find out if your surgery will be performed in a hospital or at a private surgery center. If it is to be performed in a hospital, ask the cosmetic surgeon where he or she has hospital privileges and verify these. If it is to be performed in a private surgery center, ensure it is a certified ambulatory surgical facility with a licensed team available to assist with anesthesia, surgery, and recovery.
Your cosmetic surgeon should have a valid medical license in the state or district where you are having the surgery performed.
If you plan to undergo a major plastic surgery procedure that requires heavy sedation or general anesthesia, find out the qualifications of the person who will be administering your anesthesia and monitoring your vital signs. This person is as critical to your safety as the plastic surgeon, and there are significant differences in qualifications among the various anesthesia professionals.
Dr. Oldham uses only board-certified, hospital anesthesiologists (medical doctors) for all procedures that require general anesthesia or monitored sedation. These doctors, many of whom have secondary board-certification in another specialty area, practice anesthesia on a daily basis in hospital settings and have the up-to-date skills necessary to handle emergencies should they arise.
The cosmetic surgeon you choose should be experienced at performing your specific procedure and have performed it numerous times. Ask to see before-and-after pictures of the cosmetic surgeon’s work and find out if you can speak with prior patients who have had this procedure done.
Physicians must meet certain criteria to be granted membership to most medical associations, including meeting a minimum number of continuing education hours per year. Membership in these organizations is also considered prestigious.
Doctors are required by law to carry a certain level of medical malpractice coverage as defined by individual state regulations. Ask whether the cosmetic surgeon has ever been denied coverage or had coverage suspended or revoked. The answer you’re looking for is “no.”
Your cosmetic surgeon should openly and honestly answer all of your questions, listen to your goals, and advise you of all options and risks associated with the procedure. You should not feel rushed during your consultation or pressured to say yes to any treatments. You are an individual with unique needs. It is critical that you be treated as such during this highly personal process and that you feel completely comfortable with your cosmetic surgeon. Ultimately, it is not just the surgeon’s skill that determines the success of your surgery, but also the quality of doctor-patient communication that sets the goals and expectations underlying your surgery.
Cosmetic surgery means different things to different people. Both the patient's experience and the result with a plastic surgery procedure can vary from one person to another. One thing, however, remains the same for any cosmetic surgery procedure: the single most important factor in the success of cosmetic surgery is choosing the best surgeon.
An art as well as a science, successful cosmetic surgery requires the right combination of training, experience, skill, and comprehensive patient care - a combination that countless satisfied patients have found at the Cosmetic and Reconstructive Plastic Surgery Center in Bethesda, Maryland with Roger J. Oldham, M.D. and his staff. Dr. Oldham's approach to plastic surgery merges the most advanced surgical techniques with the highest level of attention to every detail.
Dr. Roger J. Oldham is a board certified cosmetic surgeon in Bethesda, Maryland, in private practice since 1977. Dr. Oldham is:
The Practice of Dr. Roger J. Oldham puts your safety above all other considerations. Most minor surgery is performed at our certified ambulatory surgery center (certified by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, A.A.A.H.C.). Dr. Oldham also has hospital privileges at many local area hospitals where major procedures are performed.
If you would like to learn more about selecting a cosmetic surgeon in the Bethesda, Maryland, area or to meet with Dr. Roger J. Oldham in person to discuss his credentials, please contact our plastic surgery practice today. Our professional staff would be happy to give you further information about evaluating and verifying a surgeon’s credentials, while Dr. Oldham would gladly meet with you personally to answer any of your questions and show you before-and-after pictures of his work.
* American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Website
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When choosing a cosmetic surgeon in Bethesda, Maryland, it is important to carefully consider the surgeon’s training and experience level. Dr. Roger J. Oldham is a board certified plastic surgeon with many years experience performing cosmetic surgery of the face, breast, and body.
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