Cosmetic Surgery Claims

Cosmetic surgery is elective surgery which aims to improve one’s aesthetic appearance. Unfortunately, this is an area of medicine which lacks any proper regulation in Ireland. As a result of this, medical practitioners are performing complicated surgical procedures for which they lack the requisite experience, expertise and skill and this is giving rise to significant postoperative complications for patients. In many cases the post-surgical aftercare of routine complication is substandard.

Simple and seemingly straightforward procedures can result in significant problems for people if they are performed negligently. Some of the consequences for patients can include nerve injury, scarring, skin loss, infection, and psychological harm. It can be the case that a patient is unhappy with the outcome of a cosmetic procedure, but this does not mean the surgery was performed negligently.

As with all procedures, cosmetic surgeons are required to obtain a patient’s informed consent in advance of performing the procedure. This means that they are required to advise the patient of all the risks and possible complications that are associated with the intended procedure before allowing the patient to undergo the operation. Failure to fully inform a patient and to get an informed consent can result in a claim for medical negligence if the procedure has been negligently performed.

Before you choose a cosmetic or plastic surgeon, it is advisable to check with the Medical Council of Ireland to see if they are a registered specialist. You could also check this with the Association of Plastic Surgeons.

Any doctor on the general register in Ireland can brand themselves as a ‘cosmetic surgeon’. This can lead to patients receiving inadequate care and in turn, open to medical negligence. Many people in the field would consider this to be misleading and in some cases, potentially dangerous. To use the term ‘plastic surgeon,’ a doctor must undergo advanced specialist training.

• Nerve damage.
• Personal injuries sustained during the surgery or as a result of poor aftercare.
• Unexpected scarring.
• Liposuction resulting in perforated bowels.
• Surgical error during surgery.
• Nerve damage to face from botox/filler injections.
• Removal of cancerous moles leading to the delay in cancer diagnosis.
• Poor results.

• Plastic surgery
• Blepharoplasty (surgery of the eyelids)
• Forehead lift
• Facelift
• Laser hair removal
• Facial scar removal
• Hair replacement
• Laser surgery
• Rhinoplasty (surgery of the nose)
• Otoplasty (surgery of the ear)
• Mentoplasty (Surgery of the chin)
• Skin resurfacing
• Laser tattoo removal
• Breast implants /breast augmentation
• Botox
• Liposuction
• Laser eye surgery
• Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck)
• Application of permanent /semi-permanent makeup