Scuba diving off Langkawi Island

Sunday, June 16, 2013

The Star 16062013 Doc: Cost to repair botched cosmetic ops could be much more


PETALING JAYA: Operations to repair cosmetic surgeries often cost four times more than the botched operation.
For example, a mastectomy to remove a damaged breast and saline implants to reshape it can cost at least RM40,000, said Dr Selvaraj Y Subramaniam, the president of Society for Anti-Aging, Aesthetic and Regenerative Medicine Malaysia.
He said victims had paid more than RM6,000 for botched boob jobs and more than RM4,000 for work on their faces.
He said most cases of failed cosmetic procedures were facial, breast and penile enlargement.
Dr Selvaraj said in such cases, silicone or other substances were injected directly into the body by unqualified people.
The substances disfigure patients over time as they move about in the body.
Numerous cases of botched cosmetic surgeries done in beauty salons, hotel rooms and even homes, had been reported over the years.
Although the Health Ministry had been cracking down on such procedures they were still being performed in beauty salons.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said on Friday that beauticians were not allowed to perform procedures invasive or otherwise that were specified to be undertaken by registered medical practitioners.
Malaysian Society of Aesthetic Medicine president Dr Chin Shih Choonsaid that the most common complications received from patients who suffered from botched cosmetic procedures were chemical burns from acid or untrained laser or intense pulsed light (IPL) use.
Dr Chin said that if the patients were lucky, they could be treated but might need prolonged treatment costing a lot of money.