Non Board Certified PS's Outraged!

[Guest guest]

http://biz./prnews/050414/cgth051.html?.v=6

The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery Expresses Outrage Over FDA

Advisory Panel's Silicone Breast Implant Recommendations

Thursday April 14, 1:04 pm ET

CHICAGO, April 14 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Academy of Cosmetic

Surgery is outraged over the latest decision by the advisory panel

to the Food and Drug Administration to only approve the sale of

silicone breast implants to board-certified plastic surgeons. This

decision, which the Academy believes is without proper information

or merit, has the potential to limit patient choice, adversely

affect patient safety, and unfairly restrain the ability of

thousands of qualified cosmetic surgeons to engage in their

profession.

ADVERTISEMENT

" Although we do applaud the panel's decision to allow these implants

to return to the general marketplace, this recommendation is not

only discriminatory, but it will prove to be a huge loss for

patients. People deserve quality care and there is no proof that a

board-certified plastic surgeon is better qualified to perform a

breast augmentation with these implants than a board-certified

cosmetic surgeon, " said American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery

President Claude H. Crockett, Jr., MD, FACS.

By definition, cosmetic surgery is a subspecialty of medicine and

surgery that uniquely restricts itself to the enhancement of

appearance through surgical and medical techniques. It is

specifically concerned with maintaining normal appearance, restoring

it, or enhancing it beyond the average level toward some aesthetic

ideal. Cosmetic surgery is practiced by surgeons from various

disciplines such as dermatologic surgeons, facial plastic surgeons,

head and neck surgeons, general surgeons, oral and maxillofacial

surgeons, plastic surgeons and ocular plastic surgeons, all of whom

take a comprehensive approach directed to all areas of the head,

neck and body.

" This recommendation has been made without the proper information.

Plastic surgery includes both reconstructive and aesthetic surgery,

while cosmetic surgery is based upon aesthetics. This debate is

rightly about the safety of the implants, rather than the specialty

and qualifications of the surgeon, " said American Academy of

Cosmetic Surgery Trustee and Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon,

H. Rosenberg, MD, FACS.

Currently, the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery is investigating

why a federal agency charged with protecting public health would use

its authority to improperly restrict patient choice by precluding

thousands of qualified cosmetic surgeons from utilizing silicone

implants. Precluding patient choice puts patient safety at risk. The

American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery plans to aggressively challenge

this decision.

" Electing to have cosmetic surgery is ultimately about choice. To

deny women the right to choose who is administering their implants

is a clear violation of an individual's basic, patient rights, " said

American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery's Past President and renowned

general surgeon F. , MD, FACS.

For more information regarding this recent decision or for comment

from the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, please contact

312.981.6760.

The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery is a professional medical

society whose members are dedicated to patient safety and physician

education in cosmetic surgery. Most members of the AACS are

dermatologic surgeons, facial plastic surgeons, head and neck

surgeons, general surgeons, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, plastic

surgeons or ocular plastic surgeons - all of whom specialize in

cosmetic surgery. AACS is the organization that represents a group

of cosmetic surgeons in the American Medical Association through its

seat in the AMA House of Delegates.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------

Source: American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery