Pangasinan Today

As the number of cosmetic surgeries increases across the globe, so do cases of botched operations that lead to disfigurement or, worse, the death of a patient.

In the Philippines, stories of supposedly bungled cosmetic operations also abound.

Take for example the recent story of an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) from Dubai who flew back home to undergo liposuction in a Quezon City clinic.

Liposuction is a cosmetic procedure that involves removing excess fat from the body. But what seemed like a simple procedure cost the OFW her life.

There is also a story of a male patient reporting a purported bungled penile operation. He has since sued his cosmetic surgeon, a doctor who is popular among local artists and stars.

Increased popularity of cosmetic surgery

The president of the Philippine Society for Cosmetic Surgery (PSCS) believes that the situation has only gotten worse today as cosmetic surgeries become more popular, being “glamorized” by actors and actresses.

Dr. Corazon Collantes-Jose said since “time immemorial” a big number of Filipinos have become victims of fake cosmetic surgeons.

This prompted the founders of PSCS to establish the society in 1972 to safeguard the public from unscrupulous and illegitimate doctors.

“Kasi noong araw may tinatawag na instant nose lift sa Quiapo, sa classified ads lahat yan - instant nose lift, instant facelift - yang mga yan nagpupunta sa illegitimate doctors.

“Pag dating sa legitimate doctors like us sira na ang mga ilong, sira na ang mga mukha kaya nga this organization was formed to discourage all of these people and to go to legitimate organizations and doctors,” said Jose.

“It’s getting worse kasi nga walang nagmo-monitor or nagpo-police,” she added.

Jose also warned that these non-doctors would not only cause disfigurement but also inject substances that can cause cancer. These are serious offenses but she lamented that up to now nobody has been put behind bars.

Lack of legislation, govt monitoring

Lack of legislation and monitoring from the government led to the proliferation of these fake cosmetic surgeons across the Philippines, said Jose.

“They try to persuade people to have injections for monetary purposes… matagal na naming crusade ito but why is it still flourishing? Because there’s no law to put them all in prison at the same time there’s nobody stopping the influx of these injurious substances here in the Philippines.

“‘Yong BFAD (Bureau of Food and Drugs) natin hindi namo-monitor ang mga ganyan,” she said.

She said BFAD, the Department of Health and the Philippine Medical Association should monitor the proliferation of clinics or doctors offering services that they are not licensed to provide.

For the part of PSCS, she said the group holds regular lectures among its members and meets with experts as part of their continuous trainings.

She said whenever they hear reports of botched cosmetic procedures, PSCS members also discuss the case among themselves and set up parameters so as to avoid committing mistakes.

PSCS members also appear on television shows to warn the public against these unscrupulous non-cosmetic surgeons.

“We can only do so much. We can only repair what was damaged by these injections and doctors that are not trained to do cosmetic surgery,” she said.

Complications

PSCS vice president Dr. Jaime Capco, however, clarified that in every operation, including cosmetic surgery, possible complications can arise.

This is why, he said, it is important that patients undergo a series of check-ups before they undergo a cosmetic operation.

To ensure that a patient is going to a legitimate doctor, Capco advised that he or she seek the assistance of the family physician. The family physician can then recommend a good doctor, he said.

Disfigurement can be corrected but it is, of course, a different story when someone dies during an operation, Capco said. He said so far their member doctors have no record of patients dying during operations.

Jose added, “We follow certain rules that will be safe for the patient and we examine the patient before undergoing procedure. It’s standard operating procedure hindi basta dumating ang pasyente, ooperahan nila.”

The responsibility of patients

Jose said negligence of patients is also the reason why complications sometimes arise. She said it is also important for the patients to divulge their medical history to the legitimate cosmetic surgeons before the operation.

“Maraming contributing factors hindi porque’t namatay yon, nadisgrasya doctor na ang may kasalanan,” she said.

Figures regarding the number of bungled cosmetic surgeries or death caused by botched cosmetic operations in the country are not readily available but Jose said there are too many cases that it is impossible to track them all down.