Concerns rise over safety of plastic surgery

By Lee Kyung-min

Public concern is rising over the safety of plastic surgery, following a series of deaths of people undergoing cosmetic procedures.

Many students about to enter university have plastic surgery during the winter, but experts say these young people are vulnerable to negligence and false claims in advertising.

On Friday, a female college student, surnamed Jung, 21, underwent facial bone contouring surgery at a plastic surgery clinic in southern Seoul. But two hours after the surgery, she suffered a cardiac arrest following a rapid drop in blood pressure and died, according to Seocho Police.

The exact cause of the sudden blood pressure drop has yet to be determined. Police have asked the National Forensic Service to perform an autopsy on her. “After the autopsy results, we’ll ask the Korean Medical Association whether it is malpractice,” a police officer said.

Experts say such “accidents” in plastic surgery are due to two reasons: doctors performing surgery without the proper license in the required field; and patients’ blind faith in hospitals promotional advertisements.

An official from Plastic Surgeons Korea, said that there were no government regulations to ban doctors without the required license from performing plastic surgery.

“Also, there are no regulations protecting patients in any way,” he said.

To prevent recurrence of such accidents, measures such as setting up surveillance cameras in operating theaters are needed, he said.

“Facial bone contouring surgery requires the highest sort of expertise and sophisticated professional knowledge. Doctors performing the surgery want to have confidence in making absolutely no mistake. And by setting up surveillance cameras, doctors can stay more alert, and patients are guaranteed a safe operating environment.”

He also cautioned against believing in hospital advertisements focusing only on drastic before-and-after photos, saying patients should pay more attention to possible side effects.

“Hospitals spend money on advertisements. The money spent should be somehow recovered, and the hospitals are pressured to perform as many surgeries as possible. So, sometimes they cut costs by not maintaining a safe operating environment or turn to less costly measures, ultimately infringing on patients’ right to safety,” he said.

Hospitals with the most eye-catching advertisements do not guarantee the safest outcome, he added.

Earlier in September, a 54-year-old woman died after suffering difficulties breathing while undergoing liposuction at a plastic surgery clinic in southern Seoul. In March, a 34-year-old woman died while having surgery on her nose.