Wed. May 28, 2008 | 6:57 PM

Dr. Calvert is a board-certified plastic surgeon. His practice focuses on rhinoplasty, facelifts, breast surgery, and body contouring procedures. Dr. Calvert recommends you take these steps when researching and choosing a plastic surgeon.

  • ASK FOR REFERRALS: Talk to your primary care doctor, family and friends, or patients you know who have had good plastic surgery experiences. The best referrals come from trusted sources.

  • CHECK BOARD CERTIFICATION: Check the doctor's status of board certification in the field of plastic surgery at the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), www.abms.org

  • INTERNET RESOURCES: The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is a great place to find a board-certified plastic surgeon in your area. The website is www.plasticsurgery.org

  • SOCIETY MEMBERSHIPS: Find out if your surgeon is a member of The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS); a plastic surgeon cannot be a member of this society unless he or she is board-certified.

  • STATE LICENSING: Check with the state board of medicine to see if your physician is licensed in the state where you are planning your operation.

  • HOSPITAL PRIVILEGES: Find out if your surgeon has privileges to perform your operation at the local hospital. If they do, it means that the medical staffing board of the hospital believes the surgeon is properly trained and credentialed to perform the operation you are having.

  • MALPRACTICE HISTORY: Malpractice suits can be checked through a number of avenues, but may require that you make a trip to the county courthouse to check your doctor. Internet resources are robust in most states.

  • TRAINING: Verify credentials and training.

  • SPECIALTY PROCEDURES: Choose a surgeon known for the procedure you wish to have. Most plastic surgeons have several operations that are their favorite and that they are known for, consistently generating excellent results.

  • MALPRACTICE COVERAGE: Verify malpractice insurance coverage. It is important to know if your surgeon has made a commitment to his patients by carrying some type of malpractice insurance.

  • CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION: It is useful to know if your surgeon attends local and national meetings to keep up on the latest technology. A commitment to on-going education is a sign that your surgeon has not kicked back into relaxation mode.

  • ADVERTISING: Advertising has become quite common for plastic surgeons, dermatologists, facial plastic surgeons, and anti-aging physicians of all types. The market is competitive and advertising is a way to spread the word. However, a large amount of advertising does not necessarily mean anything. You must still look at all of the items listed above and make your own judgment.

Further information can be found on Dr. Calvert's website at www.drcalvert.com



NEXT: Just (Don't) Add Water
related stories

 
Tyra, My stomach is a mess from having 2 c-sections & losing 50 lbs a few years back. No amount of exercise will correct it. It looks like a giant raisin!! I am a single mom of a severly handicapped son & barely getting by. A Tummy Tuck is not something I can afford. Two years ago I began belly dancing classes & would love to be able to perform & show my stomach. It also greatly affects my self esteem & my relationship with my boyfriend. Is there anyone that can help me?
Posted by Jennifer 11/03/06 5:46 PM
 
hi tyra im an 18 year old female and i have been thinking about getting breast implants. because i have abnormal breast size one breast is a c cup and the other is an a cup.. i honestly dont know what to do..this takes a huge toll in my dating life. i dnt even feel like a woman. its a really sensitive issue for me. any info would be greatly appreciated thanks. by the way i love your show. u are such a beautiful person!!
Posted by vanessa 10/31/06 8:44 PM
 
TYRA IN 1997 I HAD A BREAST REDUCTION BY A DR GELDNER. MY BRA SIZE AT THE TIME WAS A 44II, I HAD TERRIBLE BACK PAINS. I HAD MY SON 05/02/96 SO DURRING MY PREGNANCY I GAINED 110LBS AND MY BREST GREW EVEN LARGER. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE DR WHO DID THE SURGERY FOR ME MADE MY BREAST 2 DIFFERENT SIZES RIGHT SIDE IS A C CUP AND THE LEFT IS A D CUP. I KNOW ITS BEEN ALMOST 10 YEARS SINCE THE SURGERY BUT I WAS ON PUBLIC AIDE DURING MY PREGNANCY BECAUSE I WAS ON BED REST CAUSE OF THE PAIN I WAS HAVING I WAS THREATING A MISSCARRIAGE BUT ANYWAY THE DR DID THE SURGERY FOR ME I WAS GREATFUL BUT ONCE THE BANDAGES CAME OFF I SAW THE DIFFRENT SIZES THEN I POINTED THIS OUT TO HIM AND HE TOLD ME AT THE TIME IT WAS SWELLING AND IT WILL BE FINE. AFTER A COUPLE OF MONTH I WENT BACK TO SEE HIM AGAIN AND THE SAME THING WAS SAID TO ME. I WENT BACK TO WORK AND AFTER A WHILE I KIND OF LET IT GO BUT I STARTED FEELING BAD ABOUT HOW MY BREAST LOOKED AND I COULD NOT BUY A BRA THAT WILL FIT DUE TO THE DIFFERECE OF THE SIZES AND STARTED TO GO BACK TO HIS OFFICE BUT AT THIS TIME HIS OFFICE WAS GONE AND I DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO AT THIS TIME SO I SUFFERED THROUGH MY RELATIONSHIPS WITH THIS BEING A HANDICAPP TO ME CAUSE I NO LONGER HAD MY CONFIDENCE AS A SEXY BLACK WOMAN I WAS ON THE INTERNET LAST MONTH AND SO HAPPEN TO RUN ACCROSS HIS ADD AND WAS SHOCKED TO FIND THAT HE HAD HIS OWN OFFICE NOW SO I
Posted by tasha 10/30/06 5:06 PM
 
I LOVE YOUR SHOWS!! I recently was watching your episode "My breasts are a burden" and felt so much like I could make the same claim. I am 26 years old and have always been "top heavy" I was a full C from 6th grade through 8th grade and became a D during the summer before Freshman year. I was a DD by sophmore year and a DDD by the time I graduated. I dropped a dress size to a size 12 that same year and droppped back to a DD as well. Iwas do excited! I thought if I lost more weight, my breasts would go down as well. By my junioryear of college, I was down to almost a size 8, but to my dismay, was no smaller in the breasts. I stopped pursuing weight loss and figured I was just stuck with them. Imagine my horror when my bras started no to fit! I went to get fitted when I could no longer shop at my regular boutique and measured at a 36 F! I wanted to cry! I got married in Septemberof 2005 and we just welcomed our first child in July! I was determined to nurse for the well-being of my baby, but was terrified for my breasts. I am now measuring at a 36 G and am in between a size 12/14. I am so self-conscious about it and it kills my confidence. It is really starting to complicate my neck/back problems and I cannot find clothes that I feel pretty/sexy in. I cant remember the last time I wore lingerie for my husband because my breasts hang almost to my stomach! I want a breast reduction and lift desperately, but am so torn over it and am not sure if it would be
Posted by Stephanie 10/29/06 8:35 PM
 
Hi, I am a 47 yr old women, and was watching your show, you had a young women that had just had areola surgery. I must say I was somewhat disappointed. I think you could come up with better make over stories. This young women had nothing else better to do but have surgery on her breast. I have a birth mark on my forehead that was the cause of many tearful days when I was in school. This young women dosen't have to show or tell anyone she has enlarged areola I am sure she must feel self-concious but I can't hide my birth-mark under a bra or shirt, make-up will not even cover it. She should count her self lucky she has a great face and leave self pity to the people that deserve it.I still have the birth mark and people still ask me what happened to your face. Thanks from volcano face.
Posted by Pat 10/26/06 7:58 PM
 
Tyra this is really important information for anyone considering surgery. There are so many risks to surgeries and we look them over way to easily because it is becoming so common to have certain procedures done. You hear it all the time, but what does it actually mean? Board Certified. If you have a board certified doctor or a board certified surgeon what are you really getting? Well board certified describes a physician who has passed a written and an oral examination given by a medical specialty board and who has been certified as a specialist in that particular area. The educational program and evaluation that the physician receives is approved by the American Board of Medical Specialties. It is an full examination that is specifically designed to assess the knowledge, the skill and the experience required to provide proper and quality care to a patient undergoing a specific specialty treatment. When seeing a dermatologist or plastic surgeon it is very important to see one that is board certified in the area of practice that you are going to be receiving. Unfortunately there are some doctors out there that claim to be board certified and maybe they are, but you wouldn’t want a nose job from a doctor who is used to working on feet would you? The Doctors on shows like Dr. 90210 are all board certified in the areas in which they practice. The services they provide are excellent because of their immense amount of education and experience in the area.
Posted by heather 10/26/06 9:44 AM
 
Tyra, I have had 2 operations to correct my inverted nipples. The first was a complete and embarrassing failure. The second has helped (considering what the doctor had to work with), but they are still flat and a little scarred. I am just so embarrassed and feel so unattractive. Do I have ANY options left???
Posted by Amanda 10/25/06 9:15 AM
 
Hi! I'm a 24 year old female and for a while now, I've been thinking of going under the knife for my eyes. I have a lazy eye and I want to get it properly fixed. All my life I have been teased about my lazy eye, therefore I don't look at people when I talk to them or pass them by. I would like to thank you for the tips for finding a plastic surgeon. But the thing is, I don't know if only one surgery can completely fix the problem because quite a few years ago on Oprah, there was a lady who had about 7 or 8 surgeries just to correctly fix her lazy eye. And that's just too much for me. And the other thing is that I might not be able to afford it. Is there any affordable board-certified plastic surgeons for under $5000 or $6000? Thanks in advance.
Posted by Lee 10/19/06 8:52 AM
 
Hi Tyra, I want to know if you have information about plastic surgeons that can lengthen legs. It was mentined on Extreme Plastic Surgeries but not shown. Do you have names of doctors. Only the best!!! Vickie
Posted by Vickie 10/18/06 10:32 AM
 
I love you and your show!! I set my tv to record everyone so I don't miss anything, I am also trying to keep up on America's Next Top Model. I'm hoping you can help me. . . I'm 22 and a mother of 2. I have always been small my whole life. Until now, 5" 1' and around 120 lbs. I've gained a little bit with each child and that's okay but this is what I was hoping you could help me with: To my knowledge I have a diastasis,a separation in the central abdominal muscle that can occur when your belly expands during pregnancy. I have done all the exercises I know of to "correct" it but nothing has worked. I had both children via c-section. It greatly bothers my self esteem with my husband and in everyday life. I can not wear "normal" clothes. When I do I still look like I'm about 6 mo. pregnate. Any infor would help greatly.
Posted by Donna 10/17/06 9:04 PM
 
Hi Tyra, I don't know if you can help me. My daughter has been needing a breast reduction since 9th grade. She is currently as I can recall a triple E. She was to have the surgery two years ago. The plastic surgeon at that time recommended her doctor give her prescribe medicine for her to lose some weight before he performed her surgury. When she turned ninethteen she was no longer eligible for insurance. If you can help me help my daughter I would appreciate your help.Sincerely thankful just for reading.
Posted by Venelsia 10/16/06 8:50 PM
 
Tyra I'm 18 years old and I've been thinking a lot about plastic surgery and I just wanted to know if it was safe to get three procedures done in just one year or just have all three surgeries at once. I'm planning on having a breast augmentation rhinoplasty and asian eyelid surgery- blepharoplasty.
Posted by Susan 10/13/06 3:54 AM
 
I would like more information on the hammertoe surgery... I suffer from this deformity.. It's painful and embarrassing to look at.. I've also have had people poke fun at it.. making me feel very self conscious about it..
Posted by gloria 10/12/06 9:45 PM
 
I'm watching a re-run of your show on Oh! Oxygen about people addicted to porn. Good timing. I just had a conversation with my boyfriend and his best friend about their obsession with porn (magazines, movies, internet). They say that "all men" read (or would like to) Playboy, and that all men would love the opportunity, and assurance they wouldn't go to jail, to "tap" a 13 or 14 year old girl if she looked good. I refuse to believe that "all men" think this way. In fact, I'll bet that "most" men wouldn't, for reasons of values, morals, character, and decency. What do you think? I would love to hear of a survey and statistics supporting these questions, or perhaps you can include info in your newsletter or a follow-up show. Thanks!
Posted by Robyn 10/12/06 8:26 PM
 
Tyra, i would like to know if you've heard about the BRAVA Breast Enhancement and Shaping System. I want to know if it really works, if it's a healthy product, or if in the future could cause any damage to my body.
Posted by Emily 10/12/06 4:07 PM



 (this will not appear)

(you may use HTML tags for style)

Back to Top »