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The death of Kanye West's mother, Dr. Donda West, in November following liposuction, a breast reduction, and a tummy tuck was a tragic reminder that plastic surgery is real surgery, despite the proliferation of makeover shows on TV depicting one-hour surgery and recovery. "There are very few deaths caused by plastic surgery," says Emily Pollard, M.D., a board-certified plastic surgeon in Philadelphia. "But we always have to do better to increase our vigilance and safety."

If you are considering cosmetic surgery, here are steps you can take to lower your risk of complications:

Find Out Your Fitness

Whether you are a good candidate for surgery depends on what work you want. For example, having breast and stomach surgery at the same time (often called a mommy makeover), as Dr. West did, is safer for some women than others, with the woman's overall health often more important than her age.

Different procedures are also more likely to yield the desired results for certain people, so your doctor must assess you carefully. Anyone over 50 will usually be required to have preoperative testing--including blood work, chest X-rays, and an EKG--before undergoing any procedure, Dr. Pollard says. Some doctors also insist on it for younger patients.

Be sure to disclose every detail of your medical history--along with all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, herbs, and nutritional supplements you take. Also follow your physician's preoperative instructions, including stopping smoking.

Take the Surgeon Search Seriously

More so than in other medical fields, finding a good cosmetic surgeon means doing a lot of homework. "Particularly in the aesthetic or cosmetic form of plastic surgery, we're seeing a tremendous influx of people who are not properly trained to do what they are advertising," says Louis Wyatt, M.D., a board-eligible plastic surgeon in Los Angeles.

That's because doctors educated in other disciplines are switching to cosmetic surgery, a growing field where many patients pay out of pocket, allowing doctors to avoid insurance hassles and astronomical malpractice-insurance costs. Consequently, many doctors calling themselves plastic surgeons have had far less than the traditional six to seven years of training--some may not even have surgical training at all. In many states this is perfectly legal.

Drs. Pollard and Wyatt recommend that patients look for these qualifications while researching and interviewing doctors:

Give Your Doctor a Checkup

Spend $10 to obtain your doctor's educational and licensing history, medical specialty, and any disciplinary sanctions from the Federation of State Medical Boards. Note: It's not unusual for a physician to be sued--doctors make mistakes and encounter unexpected conditions. Patients may also hide their medical histories, and particularly in plastic surgery, some patients have emotional issues and are litigious.

"You don't want to see a pattern, or that their medical license has been taken away in different states," says Dr. Pollard. "Any types of censure by state boards or the loss of their license--that's serious." Also avoid doctors who have multiple malpractice suits that have gone to trial.

You can find out more about physicians' credentials, and what to expect during your recovery, here.

--Hilary Beard is editor-in-chief of Real Health and managing editor of the National Medical Association's NMA Healthy Living

Have you ever had cosmetic surgery, or are you thinking about having it? What are your reasons for doing so? Share your experience with us in an email to editorial@niaenterprises.com (please include your name and city), and we may print your comments in next week's NiaOnline newsletter.

Related links:

How to Choose a Plastic Surgeon

class="bodyStyle">--Hilary Beard is editor-in-chief of Real Health and managing editor of the National Medical Association's NMA Healthy Living

Pictured: Writer Hilary Beard