Rise in compensation claims about cosmetic surgery
05/06/2006
Thank you so much for handling my case so well. You came to know us at a great time of sadness and you were so kind. We will always remember you as very professional but also very warm hearted.
Sylvia, Tamworth
Compensation claims about cosmetic surgery have risen in the last ten years.
Nearly half of the claims were made because of dissatisfaction with the results of operations. Scarring and infections were the next biggest causes.
This is according to a report by the Medical Defence Union (MDU) insurance group.
The deputy chief executive of the MDU said that only a small number of claims were made because of surgical error, and that dissatisfaction with surgery could be avoided with better communication between surgeons and patients.
She said that some patients have unrealistic expectations of what can be achieved by cosmetic procedures and the risks that are involved in the procedure.
She said it was important surgeons advised patients about the risks and benefits of under going surgery, including complications rates and other treatments available.
Compensation ranged from £200 to £305,000 - to a patient suffering complications after facial surgery.
The number of claims have risen steadily, in proportion with the rapid increase in the number of cosmetic surgery operations being carried out.
The president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons said expectations of what cosmetic surgery could achieve had become unrealistic. He stressed that doctors must fully explore expectations with patients before carrying out surgery.
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