The Cosmetic Institute: Breast implant patients knocked out without consent, report finds

A SYDNEY cosmetic surgery chain gave dangerously high doses of knockout drugs to women ­undergoing breast implants, a health investigation has found.

A SYDNEY cosmetic surgery chain gave dangerously high doses of knockout drugs to women undergoing breast implants, a health investigation has found.

And six women suffered potentially life-threatening medical complications, ranging from seizures, rapid heartbeat, collapsed lung and cardiac arrest, the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission report says.

Doctors have described the medical mishaps as “shocking” and called on governments to regulate the cosmetic surgery industry in Australia.

A NSW Health spokeswoman said the department was considering whether there should be a new class of cosmetic surgery under the Private Health Facilities Act / File photo

“It is completely unacceptable that this has been allowed to occur,” plastic surgeon Professor Hugh Bartholomeusz said.

Women who attended the Bondi and Parramatta offices of the discount breast augmentation clinics, The Cosmetic Institute, were put under deep sedation and general anaesthetic with no consent.

“Local anaesthetic drugs were used at TCI (The Cosmetic Institute) in excess of safe doses and dose calculations were not individualised according to patients’ weight,” the expert medical reviewers found.

“TCI’s consent procedures were inadequate — as patients are being placed under either deeper sedation or general anaesthetic with no consent provided for this.”

The report found the clinics were only licenced to provide “conscious sedation” but routinely gave adrenaline in combination with local anaesthetics “at well above the accepted upper limit of safe dosage”.

Several women were rushed to hospital after medical mishaps.

Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons president Prof Hugh Bartholomeusz said the findings highlighted the urgent need for governments to regulate the cosmetic surgery industry.

The Cosmetic Institute at Parramatta /Picture: Troy Snook

“We have been lobbying State Governments around Australia to tighten laws around the use of high volume anaesthesia and ‘conscious sedation’ and surgery in unlicensed premises as well as appropriate surgical qualifications for those performing cosmetic surgery,” he said.

“The sooner governments act to help clean up the industry in the interests of patients’ welfare, the better.

“Again we remind consumers that cosmetic surgery is not trivial surgery.”

The Cosmetic Institute general manager Andrew Gill released a statement last night saying their surgeries were now carried out at licenced premises at Concord Private Hospital.

“Accordingly, TCI has already taken action to address the issues investigated by the HCCC,” he said.

“All breast augmentation procedures are now performed at Concord Private Hospital under deep sedation or general anaesthetic, unless the use of conscious sedation is clinically necessary for a particular patient.

“TCI has reviewed its procedures to ensure safe upper limits for adrenaline and local

anaesthetic usage.

“TCI is also reviewing consent procedures and documentation to ensure that patients are fully aware of the level of sedation under which they will placed.”

He said out of 14,000 patients treated during the investigation period, just 33 were under general anaesthetic.

“At all times the surgeon, anaesthetist and nursing staff monitored the patients.”

A NSW Health spokeswoman said the department was considering whether there should be a new class of cosmetic surgery under the Private Health Facilities Act.

“As highlighted in the Ministry’s discussion paper on cosmetic surgery, released in December, the question of the appropriate regulation of facilities undertaking cosmetic surgery raises a number of complex issues,” she said.

“The Ministry is in the process of working through these issues before a final decision

is made relating to the regulation of cosmetic surgery facilities.”