Illegal Practitioner

Cosmetic surgery is a medical surgical procedure and it should be treated as such. No matter how small it may appear it should be done by a fully trained surgeon and in the right clinical environment using the appropriate techniques. There is a rising trend of consumers seeking unqualified surgeons in missions of beautifying themselves. The number of illegal surgeries is hard to track because they often go unreported, but many surgeons assert that underground and procedures are on the rise – presumably due to the number of revision patients they see as a result.

Illegal surgeries range from fatal silicone-like injections, to seemingly less risky underground procedures involving Restylane and Botox injections. Though not illegal, there has also been a rise in patients in need of corrective surgery because they originally went to a doctor without the six to eight years of plastic surgery education required for certification.

Many people seek non-board-certified doctors due to lower costs, but in cases where revisions are needed, patients often end up spending substantially more money and potential risks far outweigh a dollar amount. There have also been cases where patients who have had complications as a result of underground plastic surgery are often embarrassed, do not have the money to seek out solutions, and if they do finally see a board-certified plastic surgeon, many times it is too late to treat their complications.

In the United States, this disturbing trend is a reason of the launch of the “Do Your Homework” campaign launched in 2011 by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). The Do Your Homework message is simple: it is legal for anyone to wear a white lab coat and call themselves a cosmetic surgeon, but that does not mean they have had the proper training to perform plastic surgery. When a practitioner is not qualified, the results can be deadly. Patients must educate themselves about their doctor’s education and training.

The ASPS also launched a Find-a-Surgeon tool that allows consumers to search for a board certified plastic surgeon in their area in the States, or type in a doctor’s name to see if they are a member of ASPS. Everyone who appears in the system is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, and has completed at least six years of surgical training with a minimum of three years in plastic surgery, operates only in accredited medical facilities, fulfills continuing medical education requirements and adheres to a strict code of ethics.

The misconception due to the mainstreaming of cosmetic procedures

“Cosmetic procedures are now so mainstream there is a misconception it is like getting your hair done. They are inherently safe, but this is predicated on [them] being delivered by properly trained professionals in a properly equipped facility.” – Dr. Leo R. McCafferty, a board-certified plastic surgeon"

Case Study: Spa Cosmetic Procedures Gone Wrong

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In 2012, a Florida woman paid nearly $900 for “facial rejuvenation” injections at Vivianna’s Body Secrets Spa in Doral, Fla. After receiving the treatments, her face started to swell and became infected, and she soon landed in the hospital, where she spent more than two months. Doctors fear her face may be permanently deformed. The spa owner, Viviana Ayala, was later arrested that week on charges that included aggravated battery and practicing medicine without a license. She was not trained or certified to deliver facial injections. This case was “especially heartbreaking” in light of the fact that the vitamin injections she received were not approved by the FDA and were probably worthless. Even with no complications, it was likely she was being defrauded. Many legitimate procedures would have cost her considerably less.

Case Study: Morris "Tracey Lynn" Garner [read more]

“You don’t even have words to speak about what a horrible thing it is when somebody who is trying to improve their appearance and self-confidence only ends up, not only potentially unhappy, but dead.” – Dr. Malcolm Roth, President of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons

A Georgia woman had little chance of surviving an illegal cosmetic procedure in Mississippi because the silicone-like substance that was injected in her buttocks caused the blood clots in her lungs that killed her. The alleged murderer, Morris "Tracey Lynn" Garner - who dresses and lives as a woman - was charged with depraved-heart murder in Mississippi. The silicone-like substance he injected into the woman's buttocks is not approved or recommended for butt injections.

Investigator Lee McDivitt testified that the deceaed patient, who reportedly payed $700 under the table, became ill within 30 minutes of leaving Garner's Jacksonville house where she received the injections.