According to Wikipedia: Plastic Surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the “correction” or restoration of form and function.
It is something that is always in the news; including very recently with Jackie Stallone speaking out about her regrets on having plastic surgery after suffering from her 3rd heart attack. But Jackie is if course not the only one that has fallen foul to the scalpel; other famous figures such as Michael Jackson, Pamela Anderson and David Guest are all examples of what plastic surgery can do. In recent years however, it seems that plastic surgery is no longer just something that the rich and famous pay for with many people now undergoing the knife to achieve the look they have always desired; For example, in 2010 a total of 38,274 cosmetic procedures were carried out in the UK, compared with 10,700 in 2003 (source).
However, unfortunately not all of these procedures go the way the patient thought it would when they paid for the procedure, with negligence unfortunately happening in some.
One of the most important things to establish in these claims is whether the injury suffered is because of negligence or whether it was just an unfortunate inherent risk. Everybody is different and therefore it can never be predicted how a certain person’s body will react to invasive surgery; of course the more procedures you have in one operation (Heidi Montag for example underwent 10 procedures in one day!) means the risk of something going wrong increases also. Therefore, most surgeons or hospitals will get you to sign a disclaimer to absolve them from liability because of inherent risks – Infection been the easiest one to refer to. It is important that you read this document carefully, as this will give you the knowledge whether you are suffering due to an inherent risk or something has gone wrong.
If you feel something has gone wrong due to negligence, always speak with your surgeon as soon as possible as sometimes they will hold their hands up and apologise. Other times however they will be more difficult. For example; if a surgeon has left a glove in a patient.
Unfortunately, the cosmetic surgery industry is not brilliantly regulated at the moment (as brought out by the recent PIP breast scandal) and therefore making a claim can be difficult and negligence probably happens more than it should.
If you feel that a surgeon has been negligent in his provision of plastic surgery, it is important to contact a solicitor that deals with these claims as a matter of urgency!
Taking photographs, obtaining records and letters are all important to build and support your claim and to ensure the best chance of success. Here at the Injury Lawyers, we understand that plastic surgery negligence can be life changing! After all, most plastic surgery is noticeable such as nose corrections, face lifts and breast augmentation.
We understand that people undergo plastic surgery for many different reasons, but we know that nobody wants negligence to occur. So contact us today to discuss your claim further.
