Law overhaul could ‘stop cosmetic surgery blunders’

Serious surgery blunders could be avoided if the Government overhauled cosmetic surgery laws, according to the president of the Irish Association of Plastic Surgeons.

Dr Patricia Eadie said Ireland should follow Britain’s lead as it would “stop serious surgery blunders”. British proposals would prevent untrained doctors from performing plastic surgery procedures.

Dr Eadie said: “One of the proposed legislative changes in the UK, that we would like copied in Ireland, is that the training and qualifications for cosmetic surgery procedures be improved and regulated.

“Unbelievably — and the Irish public may not be aware of this — doctors untrained in plastic surgery can carry out plastic surgery.”

She said she wanted new qualifications and standards for cosmetic surgeons operating in Ireland, as well as a requirement that all surgeons performing operations in this country have professional indemnity.

In recent years the faulty, French-made PIP silicone breast implants prompted numerous complaints in Ireland, where as many as 1,500 women were affected, and in other countries.

While French authorities said it would pay for the precautionary removal of the implants — which have a higher risk of rupture — the same approach was not applied in Ireland.

Late last year the Irish Medicines Board (IMB) said there was “currently no convincing medical, toxicological or other data to justify removal of intact PIP implants as a precautionary approach”.

British authorities intend to establish a national implant registry of every breast implant made and the IAPS said such a register should also apply here.

Dr Eadie said the IAPS was “very keen to establish a register here” but added: “However without legislation making this compulsory it will not work.”

She also warned minor cosmetic procedures can also be carried out by people without adequate training.

“The Irish public should also be aware that anyone at all, without any qualifications whatsoever, can give dermal fillers,” she said.

“Botox is supposed to be given by medically qualified personnel, so it is important people are aware of this. We would also like to see plastic surgery clinics banned from using marketing tactics, such as offering breast implants as prizes, two-for-one offers, including ‘mother and daughter deals’, or pressurising time-limit deals.”