When Cosmetic Surgery Abroad Goes Wrong

Part of your job involves correcting medical errors. That means you „make up for“ medical malpractice and the consequences of botched surgeries. What was the worst thing you’ve ever seen or experienced?

The worst thing I’ve ever experienced was when a patient had liposuction performed by a colleague abroad. During the procedure, fat was removed from her abdomen, back, thighs, and upper arms all at once—which is actually not supposed to happen. Each of these different areas should have been treated separately, with an interval of several months between procedures. Following this extensive procedure, the patient fell into a coma for four days and had a very difficult time recovering.

Can others' mistakes always be successfully corrected?

In most cases—yes. Patients come to me with misaligned breast implants, severe scarring from tummy tucks, asymmetries, and dimples. It always looks bad, but even worse are the psychological and physical suffering of those affected. Fortunately, I can usually help.

Should a surgeon ever refuse to perform cosmetic surgery?

Yes, because that’s part of our job—among other things, to avoid mistakes or complications. I myself turn down a patient immediately if I realize she has expectations that are far too unrealistic and cannot be met. For example, if it’s impossible to achieve a desired ideal given a specific initial situation. Furthermore, I do not treat very young women or girls if they request procedures that are not (yet) appropriate for their bodies or their age. I take my work seriously and want not only my patients to be satisfied with the results, but also myself as the treating surgeon.