Cosmetic surgery is a booming business.

Almost nine million procedures were performed last year. We have five questions you should ask before you go under the knife, that perhaps your surgeon is not telling you.

First, ask if your doctor is board certified.

Be aware that any MD, your gynecologist or even your dentist, can perform plastic surgery without the certification.

“In plastic surgery, there’s one board. It’s called the American Board of Plastic Surgery. But a number of made up boards that sound very similar that do not exist,” said Jean Loftus, MD, a plastic surgeon.

Second, be sure to ask about their experience with your particular procedure; for example, how many have they done successfully.

Third, inquire about how long the results will last.

Fourth, ask to see before and after pictures.

“I will show them this is a great result; this is an average result; and this is somebody who didn’t turn out as well as I might have expected,” said Loftus.

And lastly, anesthesia is very dangerous so be sure to find out if a nurse-anesthetist of a board-certified anesthesiologist will administer it during the procedure.