Society Reiterates Concerns About Patient Safety After Los Angeles Times Article Citing Warnings About Cosmetic Surgery’s “Wild West”
LOS ANGELES, April 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ –The California Society of Plastic Surgeons is calling on the state legislature to be proactive and prevent patient harm by requiring that any doctor performing outpatient cosmetic surgery be residency-trained in the procedures offered. It is also recommending that physicians not be allowed to provide services outside the scope of their education and training. CSPS reiterated its concerns after The Los Angeles Times published “She died after liposuction by a pediatrician. Doctors warn of cosmetic surgery’s ‘Wild West.'”
“No organization in California has been more committed to plastic surgery patient safety than the California Society of Plastic Surgeons,” said Amanda Gosman, MD, CSPS president; Chief of Plastic Surgery, University of California San Diego.. “We have been tireless in our advocacy to mobilize state legislators to take action to prevent ongoing and unregulated patient harm that results when unqualified doctors trick patients into having plastic surgery. Patients are dying because they are undergoing risky procedures by physicians who lack accredited residency training in surgery, specifically cosmetic surgery.”
All CSPS members are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery after a minimum six years of supervised postgraduate training. They must pass a comprehensive written test and certifying oral examination and keep up with best practices by participating in Continuing Certification — a process of education and testing that also emphasizes ethics and professionalism. Members operate in licensed or accredited facilities which contain advanced safety equipment.
Patient safety and good outcomes are CSPS’s top priorities. Its members believe that outpatient surgery should only be provided by doctors who are well versed in the procedures they offer and who know how to recognize and appropriately treat any complications. Taking a “weekend course” or other nonaccredited training does not qualify someone to call themselves a plastic or cosmetic surgeon — especially given course instructors are not certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
As recently as March 13th, a group of CSPS members went to Sacramento to meet with legislators to review the case cited in The Los Angeles Times and discuss legislation to end the risk to patients of predatory doctors claiming to be plastic surgeons. In February, CSPS hosted a webinar with the president of the Baja Society of Plastic Surgeons to learn about its recent success in establishing legislation to protect patients in the state. The law includes criminal penalties for those who perform medical-surgical activities beyond what they are licensed for. It has spread to other Mexican states and is in process at the federal level.
“California and the US needs to learn from Mexico and make this essential commitment to patient safety,” stated Dr. Gosman. “We urge California to effect similar legislation to make sure that patients are protected from unqualified doctors seeking financial gain from vulnerable patients, many of whom lack healthcare literacy. We urge the legislature and California Medical Board to make the necessary changes to protect them.”
About CSPS: The California Society of Plastic Surgeons is an organization of practicing, board-certified plastic surgeons committed to the highest ethical standards. Our mission is to advance the profession of plastic surgery through continuing educational activities, advising the public, and acting as patient advocates. It believes in protecting the welfare of the people of California with respect to cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery.
SOURCE California Society of Plastic Surgeons
