What to Look for in a Plastic Surgery Center

November 28, 2016 | Cosmetic Surgery, Plastic Surgery
2 minute read

woman talking with a female doctor at the office

Your choice of surgeon matters, and so does their choice of surgical center. The only way to be sure that a surgical center meets the highest standards of safety, cleanliness and hygiene is to make sure that it carries the proper accreditation. Here’s how to tell if you’re in an accredited plastic surgery center and why it matters.

What to Look For

There should be no sink in the operating room. Sink drains can harbor germs and bacteria and pose a serious safety risk to patients. An accredited plastic surgery center will never have a sink in a room used for surgery.
The floor should not have carpeting. Carpet is a huge no-no when it comes to maintaining a sterile environment. It tends to soak up fluids and cannot be adequately cleaned or disinfected.
The windows will not be covered with vertical blinds. Vertical blinds, or venetian blinds as they are sometimes called, are very difficult to clean. This makes them unacceptable in an operating room.
The room will have no baseboards. Baseboards, those decorative wood trim pieces where the wall meets the floor, are breeding grounds for bacteria. An accredited plastic surgery center will not feature ornate architecture that is not easy to clean and sanitize.

Why Accreditation Matters

[pullquote] An accredited plastic surgery center must undergo an extensive review every 3 years to ensure that they are in compliance with all industry standards.[/pullquote] To maintain accreditation, they must keep meticulous track of all data from cleaning and maintenance schedules to medical records and medication tracking. If a facility is not an accredited plastic surgery center, there is no guarantee that your health and safety are being given the consideration they deserve.