Surgical Error

Plastic Surgery

If a plastic surgeon performs a negligent operation or does not finish the surgery as it was originally described, you most likely have a cosmetic surgery malpractice case on your hands. In terms of negligence, the surgeon may not have:

• Answered your questions or listened to you and proceeded to alter your body's appearance in ways that you never asked for.
• Met industry-wide standards as far as procedure, equipment, and technique.
• Sedated you properly or protected you from infection and other common problematic issues that may arise during surgery.

There is a variety of other scenarios regarding plastic surgery negligence, so if you are unsure whether your predicament warrants legal action, inquire with a medical malpractice attorney for more information about your rights.

Popular forms of plastic surgery include breast enlargement or reduction, rhinoplasty, liposuction, and skin resurfacing. When you take a surgeon's word that you will see a dramatic improvement on the areas that bother you, you should not have to second guess whether the operation can be successfully carried out. If you fail to see the results you believed you were getting or if some sort of unexpected complication occurs, contact a lawyer immediately.

Examples of cosmetic surgery gone awry include:

• A breast augmentation or reduction resulting in a cup size that is not what you and the surgeon agreed upon.
• Breast implant surgery resulting in unbalanced breast shape and size.
• Results that are not in tune with what the surgeon had outlined.
• The onset of infection during the healing process.
• Being informed by the surgeon that you require follow-up surgery to modify what had been done the first time around.
• Sudden drooping or caving of the target body part.
• Skin discoloration or other skin irregularities.
• Operating on the wrong area.

Selecting a licensed surgeon will give you more confidence going into the surgery because you can trust their validity. Cosmetic surgeons must endure the same scrupulous schooling and training that other physicians do. If they are unlicensed, then they are lacking this instruction and actually practicing illicitly. For instance, a plastic surgeon must obtain a bachelor's degree, pass the MCAT, enroll in medical school, receive a medical degree, finish a three-to-five-year residency, and finally receive a doctor's license. Becoming board-certified will also boost a surgeon's credibility because it is typically a good indication that all of the previous steps were completed satisfactorily.