Facility Accreditation & Surgical Safety

What accreditation means

AAAASF (rebranded as QUAD-A), AAAHC, and The Joint Commission audit surgical facilities against detailed standards: sterile technique, anesthesia protocols, emergency equipment, staff credentials, medication management, and adverse-event tracking. An accredited office is held to the same safety bar as a hospital operating room.

Florida-specific requirements

Under Florida Board of Medicine Rule 64B8-9.009, office surgery involving general anesthesia, IV sedation with more than minimal doses, or aspiration of more than 1000 mL of supernatant fat must occur in a Level II or III facility that is state-registered and accredited by AAAASF/QUAD-A, AAAHC, or The Joint Commission — or is a fully licensed ambulatory surgical center.

How to verify before you book

• Ask the office to email you a copy of the current accreditation certificate
• Search QUAD-A's public facility directory at aaaasf.org
• Search the Florida Department of Health license verification tool for the surgeon and the office
• Confirm the surgeon is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (abplasticsurgery.org)
• Ask which hospital the surgeon has admitting privileges at

Who is in the operating room

• Board-certified plastic surgeon (ABPS)
• Board-certified anesthesiologist or CRNA for sedation/general cases
• Surgical first assist for high-volume or 360 cases
• Registered nurse or surgical tech circulating

Emergency preparedness checklist

• Malignant-hyperthermia (MH) cart with dantrolene
• Defibrillator and full crash cart
• Difficult-airway equipment (video laryngoscope, LMA)
• ACLS-current staff
• Written transfer agreement with a nearby hospital
• Post-op observation area with monitoring

Frequently asked questions

Why does facility accreditation matter?

Accredited facilities are held to hospital-equivalent standards for anesthesia, emergency equipment, sterilization, personnel training, and adverse-event reporting. In Florida, office-based surgery must occur in a Level II or III facility that is either state-registered or accredited by AAAASF/QUAD-A, AAAHC, or The Joint Commission.

Which accrediting bodies count?

AAAASF (now QUAD-A) is the most common for plastic surgery. AAAHC and The Joint Commission are also accepted. Florida also recognizes state-registered office surgery facilities under Rule 64B8-9.009.

How do I verify a facility in Florida?

Search the Florida Department of Health license verification tool for the physician and facility, and search QUAD-A's facility directory. Ask the office to show current accreditation certificates.

Should surgery be in a hospital instead?

Not necessarily. For elective liposuction on healthy patients, an accredited office-based facility is equivalent in safety and often more efficient. Complex patients (BMI >30, significant medical history) may be better served in a hospital setting.

What emergency equipment should the facility have?

Malignant-hyperthermia (MH) cart, defibrillator, difficult-airway equipment, ACLS-trained staff, and a written transfer agreement with a nearby hospital.

Who administers anesthesia?

For any case beyond straight tumescent local, anesthesia should be delivered by a board-certified anesthesiologist (MD) or a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) under physician supervision — not by the operating surgeon.

What is a red flag?

Facility that cannot show current accreditation, absence of an anesthesiologist/CRNA for sedation or general cases, no written transfer agreement, or a surgeon operating without an assistant in high-volume cases.

Does the surgeon's board matter?

Yes. The only board recognized for cosmetic body-contouring surgery is the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS), a member of the American Board of Medical Specialties. 'Board certified' in other, non-ABMS boards is not equivalent.