Membership in the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery is restricted to ophthalmologists who have been board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and who have also passed rigourous tests in this specialized field. The word plastic is derived from a Greek word that means to mold or to give form.
Plastic surgery is surgery that molds or reconstructs parts of the human body.
Ophthalmic plastic surgery is plastic surgery that is limited to the structures surrounding the eye. Since such surgery can affects one's ability to see, ophthalmic plastic surgeons are best qualified to perform this delicate surgery and also provide any care that the eye itself may need. Fellowship in the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery indicates the surgeon has a special interest and training in this subspecialty, and that he or she is board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology or its equivalent. While board certification and fellowship cannot guarantee a perfect surgical result, these credentials do identify the member surgeon as one who has met specific training requirements.