Legal Advice On Cosmetic Surgery

By Author: Havin Bal
Total Articles: 1
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Over 100,000 cosmetic surgery procedures are performed every year in Britain according to 2010 figures from The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS).Breast enlargement, known medically as augmentation is still the most popular procedure, with near 10,000 operations carried out last year. Cosmetic surgery is also surging in popularity among men, with young males aged between 20 and 40 being the fastest growing demographic. Despite the economic slow-down, the cosmetic surgery industry in the UK continues to record strong growth, and it is unlikely that this trend will be reversed any time soon. Cosmetic enhancement now appeals to all age groups, partly due to favourable and constant media coverage of cosmetically-enhanced celebrities, while falling prices have increased the accessibility of cosmetic surgery across the country. No longer the preserve of Hollywood stars and affluent baby boomers, cosmetic surgery has won wide spread social acceptance and an avalanche of new customers.

Cosmetic clinics compete fiercely with each other to attract new clients, and this can lead to misleading claims ...
... being made, as well as corners being cut in patient care. Invasive surgical procedures carry a number of risks and potential complications. Most commonly patients are simply unhappy with the results that cosmetic surgery has achieved. This may be asymmetry of features, such as a poorly performed facelift, or uneven nipple placement following breast surgery. Otherwise botched procedures may leave extensive scarring to sensitive areas of the body, requiring further corrective surgery. There may also be damaging emotional repercussions for a person injured in this manner. Feelings of deformity can cause serious difficulties for the injured person and those close to them. They may be unable to return to work for some time, resulting in loss of earnings, or may suffer various nervous disorders and even clinical depression.

Injuries caused by cosmetic surgery may also be functional, for example if the eyelids droop following an operation, or if facial nerves are damaged during a facelift procedure. Various conditions may also develop due to poorly performed surgery, including capsular contracture among breast enlargement patients, where the implant is squeezed by the formation of scar tissue around it. Medical complications include seizures caused by dramatic falls in blood pressure triggered by excessive anaesthetic and/or loss of blood during surgery. There is also the constant danger of blood clots forming during an operation, which can prove fatal if they travel to the heart or lungs. Damage to blood vessels may interrupt the flow of blood to areas of skin resulting in skin necrosis (death). In rare cases patients may experience an allergic reaction to lidocaine contained in general and local anaesthetics. Various serious risks are therefore attached to invasive cosmetic procedures, making the choice of surgeon and clinic all the more important.

Two of the most important factors that prospective cosmetic surgery patients must consider are whether the clinic they have chosen is properly equipped to deal with emergencies, and whether their surgeon has the necessary skill and experience to carry out a specific procedure. Surgeons should have a meeting with their patients at least 2 weeks before an operation is scheduled. At this meeting realistic expectations as to what surgery is likely to achieve should be understood on both sides. The 2 week 'cooling off' period is intended to allow a prospective patient to best assess whether or not to proceed with an operation. A medical consultation should also take place to identify allergies and other contra-indications that make invasive cosmetic surgery unsuitable. Certain medications should also be ceased in the run up to an operation. Compensation claims for botched cosmetic surgery are unfortunately becoming increasingly common. People injured due to the negligence of a cosmetic surgeon or clinic should seek legal advice from specialist cosmetic surgery solicitors, as cases are often complex, and expertise and experience are important both to the success of a compensation claim and the size of the compensation award.