Plastic surgeons want cowboy doctors banned

Plastic surgeons of the New Zealand Foundation for Cosmetic Plastic Surgery (NZFCPS) have expressed their outrage towards 'cowboy doctors' --- GPs, dermatologists, and general surgeons who don't have the necessary skills to deal with the complications of cosmetic surgery operations.

Tristan de Chalain, president of NZFCPS, said that patients were being misled by false advertising which could feature airbrushed models or results that could never be achieved by the treatments being promoted. He adds that there's absolutely no regulations at all to protect patients from unskilled doctors.

Figures for the past seven years show that 73 people have already received compensation for injuries suffered during plastic surgery. This has prompted the Medical Council to put out a draft policy just recently on regulating the cosmetic surgery industry, with recommendations including that operations should be performed only by a doctor with appropriate training, skill, and expertise and that their work should be regularly reviewed for quality.

As of the moment, any person with a medical degree can pass himself as a cosmetic surgeon and perform invasive surgery. This current situation is quite unfair for plastic surgeons who underwent at least eight years of accredited training, including reconstructive and cosmetic surgery.

In Australia however, there are already guidelines that aim to protect patients from cowboy doctors. The Victoria Medical Practitioners Board has formulated rules aimed at stopping doctors exaggerating their expertise and also banning “before” and “after” photos in advertising.