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Plastic surgeons have renewed warnings about "cosmetic cowboys" following a flurry of complaints about botched operations.
Tristan de Chalain, head of the New Zealand Foundation for Cosmetic Plastic Surgery, said there were "dozens" of cases where inexperienced plastic surgeons had performed operations they were not qualified to do - leaving patients scarred and disfigured.
Among the complainants is a 42-year-old woman who claims an operation by an ear, nose and throat surgeon, left her with a "fat and bulbous" nose and scarred lips.
She claims the surgeon "pushed" her into getting a lip lift when she consulted him about a rhinoplasty operation in 2005.
She says the nose job and lip lift - which involves cutting along the lip line and plumping up the tissue under the lips - both went awry, leaving her with major scarring.
She has been fighting depression and quit her job in the aftermath of the surgeries.
"All I asked for, as well as the nose job, was a restylane injection in my lips - which is like collagen and plumps them up a little bit - but he sold me on getting a lip lift.
"He said it would mean I'd never have to worry about my lips again.
"I could tell straight away after the surgery that he messed up, and I've spent the last two years trying to come to terms with the look of my face.
"Looking in the mirror makes me want to cry."
Medical Council of New Zealand guidelines introduced after her operation mean ear, nose and throat surgeons are not deemed qualified to perform lip lifts.
But de Chalain said there was no law stopping unqualified surgeons performing operations outside their "scope of expertise".
The woman said she attempted contacting the medical council to take action against the surgeon, but dealing with depression and "hitting walls everywhere" forced her to give up.
She said she put in calls to the surgery after her operation and was told it would take up to a year to recover.
"I've had a couple of operations on my nose before and I'd never heard it would take that long," she said.
"I was too depressed to bother with it anymore, but I think I'll try and take some action again next year."
The surgeon refused to comment.
De Chalain said the problem with "cosmetic cowboys" was caused by few people knowing the difference between plastic and cosmetic surgeons.
"You cannot call yourself a plastic surgeon unless you are registered.
"You should run away if someone calls themselves a cosmetic surgeon," he said.
De Chalain said he heard of at least two cases a month where a patient had come to him, or one of the surgeons registered with the foundation, to fix a botched surgery.
One of the most shocking this year involved a dermatologist performing a breast augmentation.
"Some of the cases I've looked at would make your hair stand on end - it's absolutely shocking and I'm sorry to say it happens far more often than people realise."
He said patients "absolutely must" ask to see the surgeon's qualifications and pictures of their previous surgeries and should not necessarily choose the person offering the lowest price.
"If a patient agrees to surgery, even after seeing qualifications, then there's not a lot that can be done to help them if something goes wrong," he said.
"People will spend more time deciding what type of fridge to put in their kitchen than on which surgeon will operate on their face or breasts," he added.
SURGERY STANDARDS
The Medical Council of New Zealand has two categories. Category 1 involves surgical procedures like breast augmentation, nose surgery and liposuction. Category 2 involves removals that don't break the skin such as mole removals and hair replacement therapy.
* There is no law stopping medical professionals working outside their scope of expertise but last year the council set new standards for surgeons doing Category 1 operations.
* The council warns while most doctors have a "vocational scope" i.e. paediatric surgery, there is no scope of cosmetic surgery.
* If a patient is unhappy with a procedure they can contact ACC or make a complaint through the Health and Disability Commissioner. Concerns with a doctor's competence or misrepresentation of skills can be taken to the council.
rebecca.lewis@heraldonsunday.co.nz