Dangers from "underground" cosmetic surgery facilities

(Baonghean) -Cosmetic surgery is becoming more popular than ever for beauty enthusiasts. However, how the surgery is performed, where the surgery is performed, what complications will occur, what tests need to be done before surgery… are of little concern to many people. Meanwhile, most cosmetic surgery facilities are operating “underground”, not ensuring the conditions for providing services. Therefore, the number of deaths and serious consequences from cosmetic surgery is increasing…

Risks from cosmetic surgery

Cosmetic surgery is understood as scientific and intentional interventions using knives, rays, needles... on the body for the purpose of beautifying. According to statistics, every year, the cosmetic surgery industry in Vietnam has welcomed thousands of customers and each individual has requests to perform cosmetic surgery on a different part of the body. Many people have had safe surgery, but the number of people who have had risks leading to death is not small. Most recently, there was the tragic death of Ms. Le Thi Thanh Huyen, residing on Hang Thiec Street, Hanoi, while having liposuction and breast augmentation at Cat Tuong Cosmetic Hospital, address 45, Giai Phong Street (Hanoi) on October 19. The incident caused a stir in public opinion in the country; and public opinion became even more outraged when this facility disposed of the victim's body by throwing it into the Red River. The owner of Cat Tuong Cosmetic Hospital is Dr. Nguyen Manh Tuong, working at the Department of Surgery, Bach Mai Hospital, who performed the surgery.

The above mentioned death is just the tip of the iceberg. There are no specific statistics, but up to now, the number of victims who died due to silicone injections into the breasts, liposuction is very high; not to mention many cases of poisoning, disabilities due to cosmetic surgery... There are many dangerous complications that cause death of people undergoing cosmetic surgery, such as: anaphylactic shock during anesthesia; allergies to unsafe ingredients; medical history such as cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure, blood does not clot easily leading to complications, while most cosmetic centers are private, do not have enough equipment and emergency level for cases of excessive blood loss.

The death at Cat Tuong Beauty Salon has sounded the alarm about the safety issue in cosmetic surgery as well as the poor management of this service. In any locality, in any beauty center, hair salon, people hang signs for cosmetic surgery, facial care, lip and eyebrow tattooing. There have been many women whose bodies have been deformed, losing money and suffering for the rest of their lives. Not long ago, someone had their face completely necrotic due to chemical mole removal at a hair salon.

A beauty salon on Nguyen Thai Hoc Street (illustrative photo)

Difficulty in managing "underground" cosmetic surgery facilities

Currently, in our province, there are many cosmetic establishments that are doing business in services related to examination, surgery as well as cosmetic surgery; not to mention many hair salons are also willing to use knives, syringes, chemicals, and rays to intervene in the skin and flesh of people who need beauty. Bich Hao Cosmetic Hospital, located at 79 Dang Thai Mai Street, Vinh City; website address: http://tmvbichhao.com. At this cosmetic hospital, there are services such as: narrowing the nose, beautifying the ears, removing concave and convex scars, Korean eyelid surgery, dimple surgery... Not only in Vinh City but also in Cua Lo Town, there are cosmetic establishments with cosmetic surgery services such as rhinoplasty, nose bridge placement, eyebrow surgery, excess fat removal, eyelid creation, eyebrow lift, keloid scar reduction, perineum reduction and pinking, liposuction in the abdominal area, endoscopic breast implant placement...

Talking with Mr. Le Hong Linh, Head of the Department of Pharmacy Practice Management, the Department of Health learned that: In our province, only Thai Thuong Hoang Hospital is licensed by the Ministry of Health to perform cosmetic surgery. Nghe An Department of Health has not yet granted a license to any unit. As for hair salons that offer tattooing, mole removal services, etc., the Department cannot manage them, because state legal documents have not yet regulated this subject. Thus, according to Mr. Le Hong Linh's assertion, the above facilities with cosmetic surgery services are operating illegally, advertising in violation of the law.

Mr. Ho Son, Chief Inspector, Nghe An Department of Health said: It is very difficult to detect and handle establishments that provide cosmetic surgery services because when inspected, they all deny it. In addition, current legal documents have loopholes, making it difficult to control the wrongdoings of these centers, namely: The current decentralization of management of cosmetic centers (with surgery is managed by the Department of Health, without surgery is managed by local authorities). While most of the cosmetic salons are simply beauty centers, which do not have the function of cosmetic surgery, so they are not under the management of the Department of Health. These businesses are licensed by local authorities. If the health sector wants to inspect, there must be evidence of violations, otherwise it is against the regulations... Nghe An Health Sector has repeatedly given opinions to the Ministry of Health on this matter. Currently, the sector has not conducted any inspections of hospitals, beauty centers, and cosmetic salons.

Circular 01/2004/TT-BYT of the Ministry of Health guiding the private practice of medicine and pharmacy clearly stipulates that cosmetic surgery clinics "are not allowed to perform plastic surgery such as breast augmentation, liposuction, liposuction of limbs...". But in reality, for profit, many private cosmetic centers that do not meet the conditions still operate "illegally". The risk of death from cosmetic surgery is high. Mr. Ho Son recommends: You should put the issue of personal health safety first, those in need should research and consider and really understand the risks from the surgery. If you decide to have surgery, you should choose a cosmetic surgery facility that has the right conditions, equipment, and a team of highly specialized and skilled doctors, specifically large hospitals that have a lot of experience in plastic surgery and are licensed.

Article and photos: Thanh Chung