Plastic Surgery Industry In China Receives A Face Lift

A nationwide overhaul of the industry of plastic surgery has been launched by the Ministry of Health in China. In recent years, the number of lawsuits over plastic surgery procedures totaled 20,000 each year. The new campaign is designed to rid incompetent practitioners and ensure clients that they will be receiving quality services.

The campaign is also designed to update authorities on all procedures that are involved as well as the number of practitioners performing surgeries. The goal is to strengthen the regulations involving supervision in the industry, trying to improve consumer rights. In 2010, more than 3 million residents had plastic surgery performed costing 15 billion Yuan each year.

The number of procedures performed increased by 100% because wealthy Chinese residents want to improve their physical appearance. Even though there has been such an increase, experts state that loose regulation in the industry has been the cause of many botched operations and legal suits.

In November of 2010, there was a death in the operating room involving a talent show contestant. The surgery was supposed to be a routine procedure. However, investigations revealed that the surgeon was not a qualified practitioner. This is actually quite common since the operations are so lucrative. It is common for cosmetic procedures to be performed by individuals without certification.

There were some standards set in 2002, but these definitely have to be updated. It is recommended that any individual considering a plastic surgery procedure should always check on the qualifications of the surgeon. In the past, people had plastic surgery to repair cosmetic damage caused from accidents. Now, people just want to look better, but there is a significant risk involved.

More and more people are opting for plastic surgery but they need to make sure to check the qualifications of their surgeon beforehand even when they are native to the country, and this outlines the risks that Americans face in choosing overseas surgery.