It is the policy of the American Board of Surgery to issue only one certificate per diplomate. Diplomates whose original certificate has been destroyed or lost may request a replacement copy by sending a notarized letter to the ABS office stating the reason for the replacement along with a check for the replacement fee of $150. The replacement certificate will have a disclaimer at the bottom stating “Reissued in lieu of original certificate” and will have the signatures of the current ABS officers. Replacement of a certificate typically takes six to eight weeks.
If a diplomate requires verification of their certification status in the interim, please use Check a Certification or contact the ABS office (see also Verifying Certification Status).