Choose cosmetic surgeon carefully

USA TODAY, November, 2007 by Rita Rubin

Sometimes, says physician Stephen Miller, people spend more time and effort shopping around for a car mechanic than they do for a plastic surgeon.

The death of rapper Kanye West's mother, Donda West, on Nov. 10 serves as a reminder that cosmetic surgery is not merely a beauty treatment, so patients need to examine doctors' qualifications before choosing a surgeon, medical experts say. West, 58, died a day after having cosmetic surgery in Los Angeles.

An autopsy has been performed on West, but the cause of death has been "deferred" pending the results of additional toxicology tests, which won't be available for five or six weeks, Fred Corral, a spokesman for the Los Angeles coroner's investigation division, said Monday.

A spokesman for plastic...