Botched Plastic Surgery On The Rise: Patients Should Do Homework On Surgeons Before Going Under The Knife
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) reports that it is seeing an increase in requests to fix “botched” plastic surgery jobs made by uncertified doctors. In an effort to address the issue, it has started a new campaign that lets old patients warn prospective ones of risks that result from not confirming your doctor is certified.
According to ASPS, the problem of unqualified doctors offering budget plastic surgeries is growing, and patients need to learn to protect themselves.
“Plastic surgery is real surgery and patients need to do their homework before they undergo any plastic surgery procedure,” said ASPS President Scot Glasberg in a press release. “People spend more time selecting the model and color of a car than they do selecting their plastic surgeon. That needs to change.”
The organization has recently started a campaign using patients who had botched surgeries to warn future patients.
“The doctor just promised me the world and beyond. And when you want something so badly, you overlook things and you tend to believe them. I figured the silicone injections were something safe for me to try,” said Nafsika Lourentzatos, a New York-based event planner who needed reconstructive surgery on her breast due to a botched breast enhancement surgery.
Unfortunately for Lourentzatos, in order to repair the damage done by the botched job, both of her breasts needed to be removed. The problem is that many the doctors aren’t exactly lying because, like Lourentzatos, many patients aren’t actually asking the right questions in the first place.
The message that ASPS hopes to spread is that it’s critical to do your homework and that "there are real people who can suffer significant consequences when they don’t," said Dr. Ron Israeli, a member of the ASPS, who worked with Lourentzatos.
When considering plastic surgery, it’s important to ask if your doctor is board certified in plastic surgery, if the facility they work in is accredited, and if they are willing to share patient references. The campaign hopes to give potential patients the courage and information they need to question their doctor, because after all, it’s their body.