All three of our surgeons at the Hilger Face Center (Drs. Hilger, Lyford-Pike, and Van Beck) are DOUBLE board-certified. They are board-certified in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
Board certification is given to recognize a physician's expertise and skill in a specialty area. Our surgeons have all completed many years of rigorous training before they can qualify for certification. This training included undergraduate education and degree, medical school education and degree, residency training, and fellowship training.
Double board-certification means our surgeons have undergone extensive specialty-specific training and board examinations and are recognized as experts in their field.
Residency Training
As one of the most competitive residency positions, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck surgery demands exceptional academic and clinical skills. The training for this specialty typically lasts five years, involving rigorous education and hands-on experience in surgery, medical management, and patient care. Moreover, the field is uniquely focused on head and neck areas.
Fellowship Training
Most board-certified facial plastic surgeons have also gone on to do an additional year of sub-specialty training in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Fellowship training in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery is a highly specialized and competitive one-year program that provides advanced education and hands-on experience in reconstructive and aesthetic procedures focused on the face under the guidance of mentors who are considered experts in their field. Given the complex nature of the procedures and the precision required, facial plastic surgery fellowships attract some of the most accomplished and driven individuals in the field.
Our surgeons have met, and continue to meet, high standards set by both Boards. It is important to note that Boards in virtually all specialties were not created to promote or brag about a physician’s prowess, but to assure patients that their physician has met the highest standards of medical practice and patient care. This is the founding principle of our office - devotion to each patient’s wellbeing is preeminent.