Analysis: A safe and satisfactory procedure in vast majority of cases

Published on Friday 10 July 2009 22:21

NO SURGICAL procedure is 100 per cent safe, but liposuction has been used for many years now and there is a strong record of safety.

The vast majority of patients who undergo plastic surgery procedures have a satisfactory outcome.

There are some inevitable downsides, such as swelling, bruising, and sometimes you can get a soft tissue infection, but major complications such as those which Denise Hendry suffered are extremely rare.

None of the patients I have performed cosmetic or reconstructive liposuction on over the past seven years have had complications. And I cannot think of any patient at my practice or those of my colleagues in Edinburgh who has suffered complications from liposuctions.

Although Mrs Hendry's tragic death will make the profession redouble its efforts to maximise safety, I do not think this will stop the procedures.

What we have to get across is that the onus is on each patient to make sure that the doctor they go to is on the General Medical Council's specialist register.

At the moment, any doctor or nurse can carry out any procedure ranging from Botox fillers to invasive surgery, which is not a satisfactory state of affairs.

My advice to women who are considering plastic surgery would be to choose your surgeon carefully. Good cosmetic surgeons should be affiliated to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons or the British Association of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons.

Take advice from a friend who has had plastic surgery and is happy with it, or check with your GP which are the reputable surgeons in your area.

I have been worried for a long time by cases of non-specialist doctors undertaking cosmetic procedures. Similarly, there are a number of companies who are essentially marketing companies that sell cosmetic surgery in the UK and overseas.

If a patient decides to go overseas for plastic surgery it is very difficult to determine the qualifications of the doctors and the status of the hospital.

I do not think the reputation of plastic surgeons will suffer as a result of this. It is a secondary issue to the tragedy being faced by the Hendry family.

&#149 Ken Stewart is a consultant plastic surgeon at Spire Murrayfield Hospital in Edinburgh.