An investigation into cosmetic surgery chains by KFF Health News and NBC News has prompted consumer warnings from industry groups representing plastic surgeons and a call for more transparency around physician disciplinary actions in California.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons, which represents 12,000 doctors, is now warning patients to “do their homework” before getting liposuction, a Brazilian butt lift, a “Mommy Makeover,” or other cosmetic procedures.
“Plastic surgery is real surgery with real risks, and the risk of complications is never zero,” said Scott Hollenbeck, immediate past president of the plastic surgeons group.
And in an exclusive interview, TJ Watkins, a member of California’s medical licensing board, called for greater transparency in the secretive process for disciplining physicians, saying the board should alert the public about doctors under investigation for alleged misconduct.
Hollenback and Watkins were reacting to the “Body Shops” series, which examined allegations of disfiguring injuries or even deaths tied to cosmetic surgeries.
One story revealed that California plastic surgeon Heidi Regenass had three patients die within a few months after liposuction and fat transfer operations, according to medical malpractice lawsuits filed in California courts.
A complaint to the medical board from a patient’s daughter triggered an internal board review of the surgeon, but the public will hear nothing until the investigation is concluded, which can take years.
“If you were really protecting the patients, there would be a notice right now that says this doctor is being investigated,” said Watkins, one of seven nonphysicians a …