When state laws fail to mandate the kind of safety and health standards patients deserve for their cosmetic surgery in Columbus, Ohio, where are you supposed to turn to maximize your likelihood of a safe surgical outcome?

In recent months there continues to be considerable media coverage of the fallout after the unfortunate death of Kanye West’s mother following a cosmetic surgery procedure. After undergoing elective abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), she died due to a heart condition that her family claims her surgeon should have recognized if she had been given a thorough pre-surgical physical examination.

States across the country are gradually beginning to react to this prominent news story with new legislation. For instance, in August the California State Senate passed a bill requiring physical examinations before elective surgery – a direct response to the Donda West case. However, this small step forward highlights the extent to which most states’ laws fail to appropriately regulate who may perform or receive elective cosmetic surgery, and what kind of safety protocols cosmetic surgeons must follow. In many places, all that’s necessary is a valid medical license. The fact is that in Ohio where I practice, any medical doctor can become a “cosmetic surgeon” without any advanced training in specialized surgical techniques.

For prospective patients, this lack of regulation can make cosmetic surgery an unnecessarily confusing – and risky – process.

Precautions You Can Take for a Safer Surgery

You play an important role in your own safety, and until the laws catch up with the reality of the cosmetic surgery landscape, you need to take some important steps to ensure your surgical safety. As you consider options for your cosmetic surgery in Columbus, Ohio, be sure to ask the following questions:

• What are your cosmetic surgeon’s qualifications?
• Are safety standards explicitly stated and enforced?
• What kind of requirements must staff such as anesthesiologists meet?
• Does the facility use up-to-date equipment that helps increase safety?
• What do past and current patients have to say about the responsiveness of the staff – were concerns addressed promptly?

Be sure to thoroughly research both the doctors and the procedure options at each practice you visit before committing to surgery. You can use that information to understand and evaluate each surgeon’s trustworthiness and commitment to helping you understand your options and the surgery process.

Also, check that your cosmetic surgeon holds medical privileges at a local hospital. Preventative measures are important, but you also need a surgeon you can trust to handle any abnormal complications decisively and thoroughly.

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