The dangers of ‘have-a-go’ cosmetic surgery

Why having cosmetic surgery can be dangerous, the perils of cosmetic surgery holidays and 3 things to consider before you go under the knife in a quest for beauty The recent case of the British student who died after receiving a buttock augmentation injection is a reminder of the dangers of cosmetic surgery.

Claudia Adusei flew to Philadelphia and is believed to have been given an injection of liquid silicone into her buttocks in an effort to increase the size of her bottom. There are doubts as to whether the silicone used in the procedure was suitable for use with fears expressed that it was of a quality designed merely for industrial use as a sealant. Cosmetic surgery carries a risk of medical negligence – an issue which no win, no fee solicitors such as Claims Direct have much experience of dealing with. Many medical negligence cases could perhaps have been avoided if the warnings in last September’s report by The National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (ncepod) had been heeded more closely. The ncepod inquiry started by stressing that its authors feel there is nothing wrong with cosmetic surgery as people should be free to pay to correct physical imperfections just as they are free to pay for treatment to combat diseases. Have-a-go surgeons But the researchers do think there is a lot wrong with a culture of -œhave-a-go- cosmetic surgeons that exist in some practices. The report thinks that a cosmetic surgeon’s expertise is linked to how regularly they carry out operations. So it is worrying, that according to the ncepod, 31 places offering breast augmentation carry this complex procedure out less than ten times a year. Even more alarmingly, 84 centres offering breast reduction conduct this operation less than ten times a year. Both the examples quoted above are, the ncepod paper says, -œoccasional surgery by anyone’s standards-. Another key finding concerned the lack of equipment available to and used by some cosmetic surgeries. Unrealistic expectations Patient selection was also lacking; at only four per cent of sites was it normal for a patient to see a clinical psychologist for pre-op evaluation. Without such care, patients who had -œunrealistic aspirations and more deep-seated problems- could not be identified and helped accordingly. Cosmetic surgery holidays All UK cosmetic surgeons must now be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CVS). The website of this organisation urges people to bear in mind the extra danger of seeking treatment during a foreign cosmetic surgery -˜holiday’. This is because other countries might not have as stringent regulation regarding cosmetic procedures as the UK does. Complications regarding operations often only become apparent when surgery -˜holidaymakers’ return to UK shores. The CVS website advises people contemplating cosmetic surgery to. 1. Research the procedure and the provider thoroughly first. 2. Ask to see the surgery’s patient’s guide so that you know how to comment and complain should you need to. 3. Insist on an initial consultation and ask about possible complications, after-care and how many times a surgeon has performed an operation. As the ncepod report mentions, if a surgeon is -œshy- about giving answers then their surgery -œmight be the wrong place for you-.

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