White Coat Deception in Plastic Surgery
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Reconstructive and cosmetic plastic surgery combines art and science; doctors have to make sure the result is pleasing to the eye and at the same time they should avoid pushing the body’s limit and exposing their patients to undue risks.
Just recently, several botched surgeries have made headlines including the story of a woman who woke up with conjoined breasts. Apparently, her doctor did not have certification from the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) although she is legally allowed to practice plastic surgery in California.
“White coat deception” is a real problem in cosmetic plastic surgery. Leading cosmetic surgeon Dr. Tarick Smaili said the patients should be careful in choosing their doctor and must conduct extensive background check to determine his qualifications and experience.
“Not everyone who wears a squeaky clean, white coat is a good plastic surgeon. Patients should take note that by law, doctors have the obligation to disclose their professional history,” Smaili said.
Perhaps the root cause of the problem involving unqualified doctors practicing plastic surgery is how the law is implemented. Currently, 48 states allow surgeons to practice this field even if they do not have ABPS board certification.
ABPS is an organization of plastic surgeons who have passed the rigorous written and oral examination, and have a combination of at least five years of specialty or general surgical training in addition to plastic surgery residency.
Because ABPS members are uniquely qualified and specially trained, their patients have the lowest rates of complications.
But despite warnings from the experts, some patients are still willing to risk their safety in “underground” plastic surgery which comes cheap. This happened to a woman who asked for butt augmentation and ended up in a hospital after a quack doctor injected her buttocks with tire sealant and mineral oil.
While the victim earns sympathy for what had happened to her, common sense tells that surgery done inside a house rather than in an accredited surgical facility is already a “red flag.”
To avoid becoming a victim of botched plastic surgery, patients have to make sure that their doctors are ABSP board certified. People can check a certain doctor’s credentials by searching his name in the organization’s website.
Aside from ABPS accreditation, patients should also check if their doctor has hospital privilege; this is important since hospitals conduct background checks.
As much as possible, people should also talk to their doctor’s previous patients to know if they provide satisfying results and if they stick to medical ethics.
Cosmetic Surgery Blogger @ February 10, 2012