Thousands of people every year go under the knife for various reasons. Their reasons may be personal to them, however one thing is clear. Plastic surgery can be a very personal and intrusive and patients should expect nothing less than the highest standard of care. However, the plastic surgery industry is quite unregulated and mistakes have been known to occur. It is only in recent years that the National Care Standards Commission has introduced regulations. Under this scheme, the clinics and surgeons are under the responsibility to ‘ensure the safety and well-being of individuals having treatment’. Therefore, all the doctors registering after April 1st 2002 cannot perform plastic surgery without first completing specialist surgical training. However, it should be borne in mind that this only applies to doctors registering after this date, not before.
On most occasions the surgery is carried out by a qualified surgeon, however in a few rare instances this is not the case. If you feel you have been in this situation and would like help, we should be able to assist you.
Claiming for compensation
If you have suffered significant scars or injuries as a result of the surgery, you will be entitled to make a compensation claim. It is natural to be feeling shaken, however you should be aware that it is your right to claim as every plastic surgeon owes a duty of care to their patient. The duty of care is owed both during and after the operation. You should be able to feel relaxed under the assurance that your surgeon will look after you and that your operation will be performed under the correct protocol.
If you went under the knife and suffered significant injuries or scars as a direct result from the surgery, then it is very possible that your plastic surgeon breached their duty of care towards you and has been negligent.
You should note that a good plastic surgeon will always:
Be a well-qualified plastic surgeon
Take you through the procedure carefully outlining what the benefits are to you
Explain in detail the risks involved in the procedure
Give you the option to consider alternatives
Give you appropriate time to think about your options
Your plastic surgeon may have been negligent in using the wrong instruments to perform the surgery or made another error that resulted in you being emotionally and physically scarred. If you have personally suffered as a result of your surgeon, you have a right to make a compensation claim.
The most common types of complaints usually made include the following:
Lack of necessary information regarding the risks involved in the procedure
Nerve being damaged during a facelift
Extensive scarring during a procedure such as liposuction
Unanticipated scarring on the face during a facelift procedure
The serious errors outlined above are just some of the types of claims that are made by patients. However, any patient who has suffered one of these claims will be able to make a successful plastic surgery compensation claim.
Our clinical negligence specialist solicitors have a great deal of experience in dealing with patients who have been emotionally and physically scarred at the hands of their plastic surgeons. It is understandable that your self-confidence will have been affected by this harmful experience. Our specialist advisers will seek to understand your individual situation, and will always treat your case with great sympathy and compassion.
Ayesha Salim , editor of the UK Lawyers Network, writes articles about solicitor, Lawyer, plastic surgery claim, find a solicitor, legal, lawyer, law help advice, solicitors litigation
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