Plastic Surgery and Legal Issues

In the United States of America, it’s no secret that we live in a very legal society in which one person is bound to sue their neighbor at the drop of a hat. The amount of money tied up in legal proceedings and exorbitant judgments handed to claimants fuels this process across the country and in many places around the world. 

Unfortunately, the medical sphere of practice is not immune from these legal proceedings, legitimate or otherwise. It doesn’t seem to help that there is no current cap on many of the types of medical malpractice trials that are brought to court. Some patients genuinely deserve to be compensated for their suffering. But many are simply out to make a quick buck at the expense of a physician’s malpractice insurance. 

Plastic surgery is no different than any other form of medicine in the legal courtroom these days. In fact, a recent study by Modern Medicine indicated that physicians who perform elective cosmetic procedures are much more likely that other physicians to be sued by their patients. 

The data was filed from a major national malpractice insurance company and indicated that plastic surgeons have a 99% chance of being sued by the time they retire at age 65. Other fields of medicine that are highly sought after in court cases include neurosurgery, thoracic cardiovascular surgery, general surgery, and orthopedic surgery. These top five sued specialties represent very high-risk areas of medicine, but also areas in which satisfaction with results can often be subjective. 

Such is the case of plastic surgery gone wrong. The risks of adverse events or irregular results with this type of elective cosmetic surgery is about as long as you arm. There are many things that can – and do – go wrong. If your physician does not do an adequate job of warning you about all of the side effects and risks, he or she may legally be on the hook for results that you do not like. Future medical bills or revisions are often left up to the patient. In turn, they may try to be compensated for these extra expenses by taking the physician and their malpractice company to court. 

And yet, no matter what specialty you are in, there are several fundamental principles that help all physicians avoid being sued. One of the first and foremost is the development of a positive and open relationship with your patient. A relationship in which the patient feels their concerns and questions are being heard as well as addressed is one in which the patient is less likely to sue for plastic surgery gone wrong.