We were saddened to hear the tragic news about the death of a young woman reportedly following a liposuction procedure at nonmedical premises, which are, therefore, not under the jurisdiction of the Health Ministry.
We wish to emphasise that there are existing guidelines on aesthetic medical practice put in place by the Health Ministry and in governance since 2013. It is clearly spelt out in the guidelines that liposuction is an invasive surgical procedure that should only be performed by trained surgeons, namely, plastic surgeons and surgical specialists who have been credentialed and privileged.
These guidelines also govern other groups of doctors, including general practitioners offering aesthetic practice who are not surgeons by training and are therefore not allowed to perform liposuction.
The College of Surgeons, Academy of Medicine Malaysia, together with the Malaysian Association of Plastic, Aesthetic & Craniomaxillofacial Surgeons, through the CSAMM-MAPACS Joint Committee for Aesthetic Medical/Surgical Practice, worked extensively and contributed significantly to the ministry’s “Guidelines on Aesthetic Medical Practice by Registered Medical Practitioners”. The development of these guidelines was initiated by the ministry in response to similar tragic incidents in the past.
As professional surgical bodies working in unison, we have always considered patient safety of utmost importance. We therefore urge the authority that regulates beauty salons and centres to enforce the clear and strict delineation between permissible noninvasive and prohibited invasive cosmetic procedures.
We also encourage the public to check the credentials of such service providers. The National Specialist Registry lists all credentialed specialists in the country and can be accessed at nsr.org.my.
PROF DR APRIL CAMILLA ROSLANI
President, College of Surgeons, Academy of Medicine Malaysia
DR PETER WONG TOH LEE
Chairman, CSAMM-MAPACS Joint Committee for Aesthetic Medical/Surgical Practice
DR REGUNATHAN VILLANNAYER
President, Malaysian Association of Plastic, Aesthetic & Craniofacial Surgeons