Many other women have suffered serious harm after seeking to enhance their appearance cosmetically.

Businesswoman Penny Johnson is currently suing a cosmetic surgeon for £54m after her partial facelift in Leeds in 2003 allegedly left her with a facial twitch, pain around her right eye and grimacing. She claims her career has been dramatically affected.

In the most high-profile case of alleged negligence involving cosmetic surgery in the UK, Denise Hendry, wife of ex-Blackburn Rovers and Scotland footballer Colin Hendry, almost died in 2002 after liposuction she had at the Broughton Park hospital in Preston went badly wrong.

The most famous victim of the quest for better buttocks former Miss Argentina Solange Magnano, 38. The mother of two died in Buenos Aires after a legal operation believed to have involved buttock implants and injections. Her friend, the fashion designer Roberto Piazza, said: “A woman who had everything lost her life to have a slightly firmer behind.”

Cosmetic surgery is clearly potentially dangerous, but people don’t seem to treat it with the same caution and fear that they would another surgical procedure. People seem to be less willing to see the danger of having a tummy tuck compared to that of a stomach operation they need medically…When things go wrong someone can end up disfigured or even dead…A facelift can lead to your eyes or mouth not opening and closing properly…patients whose lower eyelid isn’t resting against the eyeball after they’ve had facial surgery…breast implants can result in oddly shaped breasts. And post-surgical infection is a risk, as is severe psychiatric injury.

Safer procedures, more information for patients about the risks involved and better regulation of this booming trade are needed.

Some popular surgical procedures carry inherent risk, said plastic surgeon Rajiv Grover, the president elect of the British Association of Aesthetic and Plastic Surgeons.

“A facelift can lead to a haematoma, or blood clot under the skin, which in 2% to 3% of patients can be dangerous if left untreated. And the risk of a blood clot in your leg, is low here but could be as high as 10% if you have a tummy tuck in somewhere like South Africa or the Far East and then get a long flight back.”

The patient’s consultation with the surgeon is vital, Grover added. That is when the risks involved need to be discussed openly. BAAPS members decline to operate on 30% of those they see initially, partly because they think the person does not need the surgery they are seeking but also because their medical history, such as high blood pressure, can make it a risk not worth taking.

Denis Campbell, The Guardian,

 

Abacus Solicitors Can Help You…

If you have suffered ill-effects following a cosmetic procedure, at Abacus we understand that this can be distressing, painful and traumatic.

With sensitive, sympathetic advice, our specialist team of solicitors will assess your needs and treat your case with dignity and compassion.

To talk through your experience with one of dedicated cosmetic specialists, call 0161 833 0044 or email cosmeticsurgery@abacus-law.co.uk