NSW Health Care Complaints Commission warns about dodgy cosmetic surgery providers

AN INCREASING number of illegal cosmetic surgery procedures are being performed in homes and hotel rooms by non-registered medical practitioners.

The NSW Health Care Complaints Commission is investigating a complaint from a woman who had a botched double eyelid suture in an apartment in Sydney.

AN INCREASING number of illegal cosmetic surgery procedures are being performed in Sydney homes and hotel rooms by non-registered medical practitioners, resulting in botched facial features.

This is despite repeated warnings from plastic surgeons that patients should only have cosmetic procedures performed by a qualified surgeon in a hospital environment, and new NSW government laws cracking down on dodgy providers.

The NSW Health Care Complaints Commission has received numerous complaints about non-registered practitioners advertising various cosmetic procedures on social media platforms like WeChat, a popular Chinese messaging app.

The procedures include double eyelid suturing — which is popular among Asian women — nose bridge lifts, protein suture facelifts, Botox, Dermal fillers and Glutathione skin whitening.

One of the most serious complaints is from a woman who had a double eyelid suture in a residential apartment in the Sydney. The treatment caused bruising and scarring to the patient and damage to her eyelids.

The commission’s investigation found the person who performed the surgery was not registered as a medical practitioner in Australia and not qualified to conduct the surgery.

The person had illegally imported prescription-only medications including Botox and Dermal fillers.

“It is illegal for a non-registered practitioner to undertake these procedures and because there is no validation of their qualifications and experience, there is a real risk to public health and safety,” the commission said in a statement.

“Furthermore, the procedures are being performed in facilities that have little, if any, infection control measures.”

Currently lots of procedures including breast augmentation, lip fillers and tummy tucks are conducted in clinics, not hospitals.

Last month, the state government created a new class of cosmetic surgery under the Private Health Facilities Act, meaning all procedures need to be carried out in a hospital environment.

This came after several women suffered serious complications and were rushed to hospital when undergoing breast augmentation procedures at The Cosmetic Institute in Bondi.

Last month a man was charged over the unlawful removal of another man’s testicle in a hotel on the NSW Mid North Coast.

Police say a 52-year-old man placed an online ad requesting help with a “medical issue”. The ad was answered by a 56-year-old man and the pair arranged to meet at a hotel in Port Macquarie on May 16.

The older man then performed surgery to remove the other man’s left testicle. Within a week, the wound had become infected and the victim was forced to seek hospital treatment.

The 56-year-old was charged with assault occasioning grievous bodily harm, possessing a restricted substance, and not keeping a firearm safe. Police will allege the man is not a qualified or registered doctor.

Australian Society of Plastic Surgery spokesman Dr Jeremy Hunt said regulation of the cosmetic surgery industry means patient safety remained the top priority.

“Currently, procedures are being performed in facilities that are not under the same guidelines and accreditation as a hospital,” he said.

“These new standards mean all facilities need to operate under the same standard of care as hospitals.”

Dr Hunt says patients shouldn’t rely on social media to find their surgeon.

“My advice would be to do your research into these doctors’ qualifications and the quality and the accreditation of the facility where the procedure is going to be performed,” he said.

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