« Age and Plastic Surgery | Main | Common Plastic Surgery Fears »
Illegal Plastic Surgery
By admin | October 3, 2011
Beware of Illegal Plastic Surgery OffersÂ
Illegal plastic surgery is on the rise throughout the United States, especially in areas with concentrated immigrant populations. Often, these procedures are performed by unlicensed physicians and result in the death of the patient, such as in these cases:
- Dr. Peter Normann, an emergency room physician who had never received plastic surgery or anesthesiology training, was convicted in 2011 of second-degree murder for the deaths of Ralph Gonzalez, 33, Leslie Ann Ray, 53, and of manslaughter for the death of Alicia Santizo Blanco, 41 – all of whom underwent a liposuction procedure at his ill-equipped clinic in Anthem, Arizona. Investigators found that Dr. Normann’s operating room lacked proper oxygen and monitoring equipment, and that his only staff was a massage therapist and a former restaurant worker with no training as medical technicians.
- An unnamed, unlicensed “doctor,” who in 2010 administered silicone injections for gluteal augmentation to aspiring hip-hop dancer Claudia Aderotimi in a Philadelphia hotel room. The 20-year-old patient was believed to have met her surgeon – who is described as a transgender woman in her 30s that underwent gluteal augmentation herself – in an online chat forum for people interested in plastic surgery.
- Brazilian doctor Luiz Carlos Ribeiro, who performed liposuction, rhinoplasty, and Botox injections for three years in Framingham, Massachusetts. He primarily kept his business afloat by offering the services at a discount to the town’s large Brazilian immigrant population. The procedures were performed in the basement of a Framingham condominium basement. In 2006, Ribeiro, his wife and the owner of the condo were arrested and charged with manslaughter, unauthorized practice of medicine, and drug counts.
- In the same town, the 2011 death of a 39-year-old Brazilian housecleaner after getting breast implants from Dr. Sanjeev Sharma, raised eyebrows about doctors that are board certified in specialties other than plastic surgery performing cosmetic procedures. Sharma was board certified in family medicine, but not in plastic surgery.
As you can see, at least two of these cases involved individuals who were, to some extent, trained as doctors. However, they lacked the proper qualifications and facilities to perform cosmetic surgery procedures. Therefore, they are criminals who performed illegal plastic surgery.
For that reason, the importance of finding a board certified plastic surgeon has never been more pressing. Make sure your doctor is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) before you commit to undergoing any procedure.
Topics: Plastic Surgery | No Comments »