Plastic surgery · Specialty guide
A short, factual guide to vetting a plastic and cosmetic surgery clinic — checking the surgeon's credentials, understanding aftercare and revision policies, and how to read a clinic's GCR Rating for plastic surgery.
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Cosmetic and reconstructive procedures carry real surgical risk, so the surgeon and the facility matter more than the offer. This guide explains what to verify before committing.
A clinic's brand tells you little about who will operate on you. Confirm that the named surgeon is qualified in plastic surgery, is registered with the relevant national body, and personally performs the procedure you want. Ask how often they carry it out and to see results from their own patients.
Ask whether the procedure takes place in an accredited surgical facility or hospital, what anaesthesia is used, and who provides anaesthetic care. For anything beyond minor work, confirm there is appropriate monitoring and access to emergency care.
Look for consistent outcomes across many patients rather than a handful of striking photos. Be wary of pressure to decide quickly, of prices far below the norm, and of before-and-after images that are not the clinic's own patients. A genuine consultation should include an honest discussion of risks.
What the number means
A clinic's GCR Rating for plastic surgery is a single score out of 5, calculated from verified patient reviews and — increasingly — patient-reported outcomes for this specialty, using a model that accounts for how many reviews a clinic has. No clinic can pay to change it.
Use it as a first filter, then verify the surgeon and facility details above. See how each GCR Rating is calculated →
See the plastic surgery clinics GCR rates, ordered by their GCR Rating for this specialty:
If a clinic you are considering is not listed, you can suggest it for review.
