PLASTIC SURGERY LAWS: There appears to be little public knowledge about the rules on plastic surgery and especially so in the UK.
This section has cosmetic surgery statistics with guidance about the current regulations for reconstructive and cosmetic intervention procedures.
Cosmetic Surgeons – Qualifications
If you are wondering whether you are required by law to be qualified to be a cosmetic surgeon – the answer is not necessarily.
At the time of writing, any qualified doctor is permitted to carry out cosmetic surgery. They do not need to have specific skills or advanced training qualifications in reconstructive or cosmetic procedures. That is until or unless there is a rule change.
In response to this, a UK Member of Parliament is currently calling for a new system of regulation. He specifically wants patients to be reassured that any cosmetic surgeon operating on them are properly qualified and governed by the law.
Specialist Training
There is no common regulatory qualification for people performing cosmetic surgery in the United Kingdom. Your surgeon will be medically trained. But, this kind of reconstruction is not defined as a surgical specialty in its own right (at the present time).
The lack of specialist legislation is worrying for many patients going ‘under the knife’. It means they have no easy way of reassuring themselves that their surgeon is qualified to carry out the procedure.
Some defined reconstructive or aesthetic surgery specialist techniques do require, or include, a degree of training in the cosmetic aspects. The most notable of these are for eye operations. It also includes some ear, nose and throat alterations.
Royal College of Surgeons
In England and Wales, the Royal College of Surgeons is committed to promoting and advancing the highest standards of surgical care for patients and regulating surgery, which also includes dentistry.
The Royal College of Surgeons of England agrees with a call to amend the current rulings for plastic surgery laws and regulations in the United Kingdom. The RCS is a registered charity and based in Lincoln.
It has been widely acknowledged that the independent professional body would like the Government to ensure only surgeons with the appropriate skills and experience undertake cosmetic surgery.
The RCS also gives credence to the General Medical Council (GMC) having the legal power to formally recognize additional qualifications or credentials. These would then include specialist qualifications for those who operate in the cosmetics field.
One advantage of the proposed new legislation could include a public register. It would provide the names of doctors or surgeons with the qualification. Patients and employers could then verify whether a proficient cosmetic surgeon has limited or extensive and recognized experience in the specific procedures.
RCS Warning: “The risks of cosmetic surgery can be serious and include disfigurement. For example, the PIP breast implant failures resulted in ruptured implants that could form scar tissue and pain and inflammation.”
Plastic Surgery Statistics UK
UK-wide, cosmetic interventions are a booming business. Plastic surgical operations and augmentations are estimated to be worth close to £4 billion for the year of 2015.
Statistically – according to research conducted by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) – the top five cosmetic surgical procedures performed within the last few years have been;
- Breast Augmentation
- Nose Reshaping
- Double Eyelid Surgery
- Liposuction
- Facelift
Lack of Regulations – Concerns
The lack of regulations increased further concerns. Of most concern was the ‘PIP’ breast implants scandal and recall in 2010. Poly Implant Prothèse (PIP) was a French company who were using industrial grade silicones – instead of medical grade.
Silicon for breast implants is usually made from medical grade material. It must pass stringent safety tests for use in a human body. But, concerns emerged when the industrial grade proved to have double the rupture rate of most other regulated implants.