IAPS is concerned over plastic surgery adverts

Photo by OJO Images/Rex Features

By Lloyd Mudiwa.

The Irish Association of Plastic Surgeons (IAPS) is concerned by what it has described as the growing number of doctors who are either advertising or being quoted in the media claiming they are plastic surgeons when they are not.

Responding to the issue, the Association said its members, who could be located via the www.plasticsurgery.ie website, were registered consultant plastic surgeons with an average of 15 years’ training prior to setting up practice.

Although the Medical Council has relaxed the regulation prohibiting advertising by doctors, the Association, which is the only body of plastic surgeons in Ireland recognised by the Council and the RCSI, still recommends that doctors provide only contact details and areas of special interest and avoid making misleading claims.

The IAPS — which aims to promote awareness and understanding of the work carried out by plastic surgeons and, together with the RCSI, is responsible for training future plastic surgeons — said its members were also particularly concerned about the growth of ‘Groupon’-type offers, such as for mole removal — a particularly dangerous development — as well as discount offers for Botox (or similar) type treatments.

lloyd.mudiwa@imt.ie