The Keogh Review into Cosmetic Surgery – Our Response
Posted on May 5, 2013
In 2012 Sir Bruce Keogh was asked to undertake a review of Cosmetic Surgery, his report was published in April and can be seen……
We would like to take the opportunity to wholeheartedly welcome the recommendations of this report which is aimed at improving care and safety for cosmetic surgery patients.
We have always aimed to offer the highest standards of surgical care, and we have tried to do that at a price that patients can afford. We are pleased that the recommendations align so closely with the MyBreast approach to patient care.
The following are a selection of the key recommendations for patients considering cosmetic surgery:
- All pre operative consultations should be performed by the surgeon who will be undertaking the operation
At MyBreast we completely agree with this suggestion, the planning required for cosmetic surgery procedures is considerable and the only person who should be involved is the surgeon who will be performing the operation. We do not have a team of salespeople, you will see your surgeon to discuss your surgery. You will be allocated a patient advisor but they will be there to discuss the practicalities of booking your operation.
- All surgeons undertaking cosmetic surgery should be on the UK specialist register.
- Patients should be fully informed of the implications and risks of surgery
All our surgeons are experienced consultants, they understand the need for careful preparation of patients before surgery. They will take the time to discuss the operation in considerable detail and where appropriate patients are asked to return for a second consultation.
- The Royal College of Surgeons has been asked to set up an inter-speciality committee to set standards for cosmetic surgery practice and training.
We support this long overdue initiative. British plastic surgery has a long and distinguished history, it also contains many of the worlds most respected surgeons. However, the UK and particularly London has also attracted many surgeons who represent themselves as specialists despite limited training or experience. It is vital that patients know what they are getting when they see a surgeon. One of our founders Mr Norman Waterhouse was one of the first specialist tutors in cosmetic surgery at The Royal College of Surgeons.
- Providers should keep clear and accurate records of the operations that they do, and of the implants used
Following the PIP implant scandal, it was clear that many providers had failed to keep any records of the operations that they had performed or the implants that they had used, this left many patients in a difficult position. I am pleased to say that we have never used PIP implants and we insist that all our surgeons record a dataset that includes complete operative records and full details of any implants used.
- A national database for breast implants should be introduced, use of this database should be mandatory
The original UK breast implant registry was disbanded several years ago, because there was little enthusiasm from patients to have data kept centrally. It will now be obligatory for that data to be recorded, but to ensure that this is acceptable to patients the data that is recorded will be anonymised. This concept has worked well in other areas of surgery such as hip implants and is another recommendation that we welcome.
- The Royal College of Surgeons has been asked to develop a specific code of ethical practice for advertising.
For many years BAAPS have insisted that all its members subscribe to an advertising code of conduct, it is pleasing to see that Sir Bruce Keogh and the committee endorse this. MyBreast support this recommendation and have been concerned by the trivialisation of surgery in the advertising campaigns of some providers.
- Insurance products should be available to cover patients in the event of certain medical complications.
At MyBreast we provide a service that already includes care and support for patients in the rare event of certain complications. We welcome the suggestion that all providers of care should provide similar support, and we agree with the suggestion that insurance products should be available.
- All product manufacturers should enter an ABTA style bond to provide for patients in the event of mass failure or insolvency.
Once again, the committee have provided a recommendation that should provide additional security for patients considering surgery.
MyBreast was set up by surgeons to provide patients with the highest standards of care at an affordable price. My Breast’s founding surgeons have always insisted that the service provided must always be of the highest quality, and critically in the patient’s best interest, accordingly we welcome Sir Bruce Keoghs recommendations that have clearly been developed with a similar philosophy. We look forwards to being able to continue providing our patients with affordable excellence.
You can view the full report here:
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