The start of the World Series! It reminds of us of the ultra teamwork seen in medicine.

The first item of consideration of sport managers and coaches is almost always about teamwork; those managers endlessly explain how the team is more important than any one person, no matter how talented or athletic that one person may be.

Moreover, championships can’t be won without effective teamwork.

The same concept can be extended to any cosmetic surgery operating room.

In discussing and deciding to go ahead with a cosmetic plastic surgery procedure, a patient gets to know the cosmetic surgeon and his or her work via reputation and the practice’s many before and after surgery pictures.

But when the patient shows up on the day of surgery, he or she may notice that a team of highly skilled professionals are also in the operating room.

While the cosmetic plastic surgeon is obviously the “Captain” of the team, the functions of the other team members are just as important as that of the surgeons.

Critical to every smoothly running procedure are surgical assistants who are trained to pass instruments to the surgeon and help with other aspects of the operation. He or she may, or may not, be a registered nurse.

Nonetheless, there must be by law a Registered Nurse in the operating room during the procedure. That R.N. provides and records medications used during the surgery and assists the anesthesia provider as needed while acting as chief quality control officer.

For the comfort and safety of the patient, the second physician in the room is an M.D/anesthesiologist or a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. (The surgeon decides which will serve the patient during the operation.)

And here is yet another analogy to sports: Just as, say, a basketball team with the same members playing the same position day in and day out will develop a rhythm, consistency and efficiency, so it is also in the operating room.

When that same veteran team is assembled daily, it’s a great benefit to the patient who enjoys a shorter time under the knife, thanks to:

• The team’s accuracy
• Far fewer errors
• Efficiency
• Effectiveness
• No sacrifice of quality

In this type of surgery, repeating day after day the same limited number of procedures by the same surgeon and his team is a key to a safe and successful operation.

So, prospective patients: after you ask about the surgeon’s education, training and teachers, ask about:

• The surgeon’s team
• If a nurse anesthetist or physician-anesthesiologist is at “the controls.”
• Also, ask how often that surgeon works with that particular team.