How to Choose a Plastic Surgeon in Miami

At a glance

| Check | Where to do it | What to look for | |---|---|---| | Board certification | ABPS "Verify Certification" or ABMS CertificationMatters.org | Certified in plastic surgery, with a current certificate | | "Board-eligible" claims | ABPS advertising policy | Time-limited status, not certification | | Florida license | FL DOH MQA License Verification | Active license; any discipline or public complaints on file | | Office surgery | MQA portal → Board of Medicine → "Office Surgery Registration" | Registration if the procedure is done in an office | | Hospital backup | Ask the surgeon (Florida requires it in writing for Level II and III office cases) | Hospital privileges or a transfer agreement | | Consent | Your written consent form | Anesthesia plan, procedure, and the "doctor's office regulated by the Board of Medicine" notice |

1. Verify board certification in plastic surgery

Board certification is voluntary, so a licensed physician can legally perform cosmetic surgery without it. ABPS says its certification means the surgeon completed approved plastic surgery training and passed comprehensive written and oral exams, and it requires an active, unrestricted medical license. ABPS certificates issued since 1995 are time-limited (10 years), so check that the certificate is current.

Look the surgeon up yourself: - **ABPS:** the board's public "Verify Certification" search. - **ABMS:** CertificationMatters.org ("Is My Doctor Board Certified?") searches certification across the ABMS member boards, including plastic surgery.

Be precise about *which* board. A surgeon can be certified by a board in another specialty, or by a board outside the ABMS system. For a cosmetic operation, ask: "Are you certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery?" For more, see How to Verify Board Certification and What Is the American Board of Plastic Surgery?.

2. Know what "board-eligible" means

"Board-eligible" means a surgeon has finished training and is in the exam process but is **not yet certified**. ABPS lets candidates use the term only once their application is approved, and only for **5 years after residency**. Reapplying can extend that to a **maximum of 8 years**. Across ABMS member boards, eligibility can't last longer than 7 years, and ABMS says a physician whose eligibility has lapsed must stop claiming it. A newly trained surgeon can be excellent, but you should know which status you're getting. The details are in Board-Certified vs. Board-Eligible.

3. Look up the Florida license and record

Every Florida physician's license is public on the Florida Department of Health's **MQA License Verification** portal. Search by name and check that the license is active. The state's user guide says results show whether the licensee "has discipline on file or any public complaints." ABPS's own lookup also flags surgeons whose state board has taken action and points you to the Federation of State Medical Boards.

4. Ask where the operation will happen

This is the question most patients skip. Many cosmetic procedures in Miami are done in office-based surgical suites, and that's legal. But under Florida law (§458.328), an office must **register with the Department of Health and pass an inspection** before doing: - liposuction that removes more than 1,000 cc of supernatant fat, or - Level II or Level III office surgery (the levels are defined in the Board of Medicine's office-surgery rule; ask your surgeon which level your procedure is).

The office needs a designated physician with a full, active, unencumbered license. The state inspects registered offices at least once a year, unless the office is accredited by a nationally recognized agency approved by the Board of Medicine. Offices doing these procedures without registering face a $5,000 fine per incident.

**How to check:** on the MQA portal, choose the Board of Medicine and the profession "Office Surgery Registration," then search the practice. If the surgery will be in a hospital or licensed ambulatory surgical center, ask which one.

Florida's office-surgery rule (Fla. Admin. Code R. 64B8-9.009) also: - caps liposuction in an office at **4,000 cc** of supernatant fat, or **1,000 cc** when combined with an abdominoplasty; - limits elective cosmetic office procedures to a planned **8 hours** combined, with discharge within 23 hours and 59 minutes of arrival; - requires a posted sign, repeated in the consent form, saying the office is a doctor's office regulated by the Board of Medicine; and - requires the surgeon, for Level II, IIA and III cases, to give you **in writing** the hospital where they have privileges for the same procedure, or the hospital the office has a transfer agreement with (within 30 minutes' transport).

5. If you're considering a Brazilian butt lift

Florida has specific rules for gluteal fat grafting (§458.328(3)(c)). The physician must: - examine you in person **no later than the day before** surgery; - personally do the fat extraction and injection; - inject fat only beneath the skin, **never crossing the gluteal fascia**, using ultrasound guidance; and - treat only one gluteal fat-grafting patient at a time.

Ask the surgeon directly how they meet each of these rules.

6. Use the consultation to ask the right questions

- Are you certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, and is your certificate current? - How often do you perform this procedure, and can I see before-and-after photos of your own patients? - Where will the operation be done, and is that office registered for office surgery? - Who will give anesthesia, and what type will I have? - Where do you have hospital privileges, and what happens if I need a hospital? - What does recovery look like, and who do I call after hours?

More are in What Questions Should You Ask a Plastic Surgeon?. For risks to discuss, see What Are the Risks of Plastic Surgery?.

7. Know what happens if something goes wrong

Florida requires physicians to report "adverse incidents" in an office setting, including a transfer to a hospital, to the Department of Health within 15 days (§458.351). Separately, practitioners must tell patients in person about adverse incidents that result in serious harm (§456.0575).

Find a plastic surgeon in Miami

**Featured doctors:**Haute MD Network plastic surgeons in Miami include Dr. Oliver Chang, who is board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery, and Dr. Baruch Jacobs, founder of Miami Beach Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery Center and also certified by both boards. Dr. Jacobs explains why Miami Beach draws plastic-surgery patients. See more Miami plastic surgeons or browse Plastic Surgery doctors in Find a Doctor. *Listed doctors are paid members of the Haute MD Network. Editorial selection, not a ranking.*

**Related** - Board-Certified vs. Board-Eligible - Is My Surgeon Board Certified? - How Do You Choose a Plastic Surgeon? (the national version) - How to Choose a Cosmetic Dentist in Miami

Sources

- American Board of Plastic Surgery, Verify Certification (fetched Nov. 1, 2026) - American Board of Plastic Surgery, Advertising Policy for Candidates during Admissibility (2025) and Booklet of Information, July 1, 2026–June 30, 2027 (fetched Nov. 1, 2026) - American Board of Medical Specialties, Standards for Initial Certification; ABMS Solutions, Board Eligibility Policy; CertificationMatters.org (fetched Nov. 1, 2026) - Florida Statutes (2026) §458.328 (office surgeries), §458.351 (adverse incident reports), §456.0575 (duty to notify patients) (fetched Nov. 1, 2026) - Fla. Admin. Code R. 64B8-9.009, Standard of Care for Office Surgery (Cornell LII, fetched Nov. 1, 2026) - Florida Board of Medicine, Office Surgery Registration (fetched Nov. 1, 2026) - Florida Department of Health, MQA License Verification and its user guide (fetched Nov. 1, 2026)

*This guide is for general information and isn't medical advice. Talk with a qualified physician about your own situation.*