Plastic Surgery Articles

Plastic surgery is a thriving business with millions of customers spending in excess of $13 billion on a variety of physical enhancements in 2007 alone.  One of the most popular trends in the industry is the use of Botox and other facial fillers as a non-surgical alternative that provides a younger looking face by smoothing out wrinkles and facial furrows.  According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 2.8 million treatments were administered last year at a cost of over $1 billion.

Those figures emphasize the popularity of dermal fillers, which cost a fraction of surgical facial lifts and last from six to eighteen months depending on the product and the patient.  Unfortunately, this market has attracted its share of unscrupulous “professionals” who are either not trained in any sort of medical application or who utilize unsafe and even dangerous products in lieu of FDA approved (and more expensive) options.

A Houston anesthesiologist was recently sentenced to two years in prison for providing fraudulent Botox injections using a product called Botulinum Toxin Type A, which is similar to Botox but can be acquired at half the price and is not FDA approved.  This particular physician advertised her service as actual Botox injections, leading to a conviction for ten counts of mail fraud and misrepresenting a drug for sale.

A more onerous example is the Florida woman who died last month shortly after getting a silicone injection in her left buttock and hip. Florida detectives recently arrested a Mark Hawkins who was charged with third-degree murder, manslaughter and unlicensed practice of health care.  This particular practitioner had no training or experience in medical treatments of any kind.

Silicon injections were introduced in the 1970s and became a popular early injectable for the purpose of rejuvenating sagging breasts, buttocks and smoothing facial features.  Injected silicone proved to be a significant health risk as it can both harden in place and move through the body to cause life-threatening blockages.   Often it must be surgically removed.  Several states now outlaw silicone injections and they are not FDA approved.  That does not stop cut-rate unlicensed operators from using them to cash in on the injectable craze started by the FDA’s 2002 approval of Botox.

Silicon “parties” have become popular in South Florida, so much so that the Florida Department of Health’s Unlicensed Activity Office - the only one of its kind in the US - established Operation Hotlips a year ago to crack down on the illegal injection of silicone and other cosmetic drugs.  The parties are supposedly attracting thousands of young Floridians who are unaware of the dangers and history of silicon injection.  People are attracted to silicon because it has longer staying power than Botox or collagen and is much cheaper than plastic surgery.  The real costs come into play when the silicon hardens into a cement-like object lodged in the body.

Botox parties have been a staple of these non-surgical treatments since the product was FDA approved.  One Midwest plastic surgeon hosts them himself.  If you get 10 friends together for a Botox party, the host or hostess gets a discount, paying $350 per (injected) area instead of the normal $425 to $750. Everyone else at the party pays full price. The doctor sees these events as an “entry level” form of plastic surgery, which will eventually draw some of the participants to his office for more expensive treatments.

Many in the industry feel that people are naïve about the whole process.  The Physicians Coalition for Injectable Safety released findings of a joint survey reporting that 40% of consumers are unsure whether Botox parties are safe, and only 58% of consumers feel FDA approval of an injectable is important to safety.  Professionals disagree.

Surgical or non-surgical body enhancements should take place in a certified, secure environment and not at a cocktail party.  Questions for the consumer to ask include:

• Is the injectable recommended by a qualified doctor who regularly treats similar conditions, in an appropriately licensed and equipped medical facility?

• Is the injectable recommended approved by the U.S. FDA for cosmetic indications and is it appropriately labeled and packaged to reflect its authenticity and approval? Has the doctor explained any dangers or potential adverse reactions?

• Is the setting a proper medically-equipped office, with safety and sterilization procedures? Is it certified as an ambulatory surgical center?