Mental Health Check Now Mandatory Before Cosmetic Surgery

A woman receives a treatment at cosmetic surgery practice. Jose Jordan/AFP/Getty Images

Australians must now have a health and psychological assessment before cosmetic surgery.

On Dec. 14, the Australian Health Commission (ACSQHC) set standards for all cosmetic surgery facilities in Australia to evaluate each patient’s specific needs before going under the knife.

The national standards aim to bring cosmetic surgery in line with surgical services nationwide, enhance patient protection, and improve conditions in facilities offering cosmetic procedures.

ACSQHC Clinical Director Liz Marles said (pdf) the “powerful” standards, influenced by industry-wide changes, focus on reducing the risk of patient harm by necessitating a referral to ensure suitability for surgery.

“Whenever surgery is performed, there are inherent risks that medical practitioners must carefully consider with their patients,” she said.

“There are too many cases where cosmetic surgery procedures have had poor or tragic outcomes for vulnerable people who were unaware of the risks.”

In one case, a patient, Carly, suffered an infection after a problematic cosmetic thread lift. The infection required surgery to remove an abscess and further procedures to restore her appearance.

“If proceeding, services must ensure their patient understands the risks and has provided informed consent, that the clinicians are appropriately qualified, and that there is post-operative guidance for the patient after a procedure,” Ms. Marles said.

She noted it was about showing that cosmetic surgery services thoroughly care for their patients.

“Australians will gain confidence that when they visit a cosmetic surgery service accredited to the standards, they are receiving safe and high-quality care—no matter where they access the service.”

Australia’s growing number of cosmetic procedures means more people are potentially at risk.

In 2023, cosmetic surgery was a $1.4 billion (US$941 million) industry, with thousands of procedures yearly.

Around 34 percent of this is spent on cosmetic surgeries, 47 percent on non-surgical procedures, and the remaining percentage is allocated to reconstructive surgeries.

Surge in Cosmetic Surgeries Sparks Concerns

With industry growth, plastic surgeon Dr. Garry Buckland welcomed the changes and noted that the cosmetic industry’s reputation and practitioners’ trustworthiness had hit a new low.

The number of reported complaints of serious harm from cosmetic surgery has grown significantly since attention was focused on the sector over the past 18 months.

Since its launch on Sept. 5, 2022, the Cosmetic Surgery Hotline has received 428 calls, with concerns ranging from patient treatment to poor outcomes.

During this time, 179 formal complaints or notifications were received, and 14 doctors have stopped practising cosmetic surgery or are under significant restrictions pending ongoing investigations in the industry.

Additionally, 12 doctors faced registration restrictions following investigations, including suspension, prohibitions on performing cosmetic surgery, supervision requirements, and formal education mandates.

“These standards, combined with reforms from AHPRA and the Medical Board of Australia, are necessary to restore patient and community confidence in cosmetic surgery and the medical practitioners who provide these services,” Dr. Buckland explained.

A cosmetic surgery operation room at SY Aesthetics in Middletown, N.Y., on June 16, 2023. Cara Ding/The Epoch Times

He said the changes establish a framework for “gold standard” clinical practice in a field lacking direction for too long.

“In a field lacking regulatory rigour, these standards offer patients reassurance that they will receive optimal care in a safe environment, delivered by trained medical professionals,” he said.

He added that compliance with the standards is a win-win for patients, practitioners, and the broader community.

“Facilities prioritising patient safety will quickly adopt these standards, leading to a positive impact on the industry,” he said.

“The Cosmetic Surgery Standards will help individuals choosing cosmetic surgery in accredited facilities to differentiate between good and poor-quality practices.”

Red Tape for Qualified Surgeons

Specialist Brigid Corrigan from the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons emphasised strong support for improving patient safety.

However, she raised concerns about the potential for added bureaucracy for fully qualified plastic surgeons.

“We believe there are some minor cosmetic procedures, such as simple scar revisions, which can safely be performed in doctors’ rooms and would like to see this clarified in the standards,” Dr. Corrigan told ABC News.

“We also have some concern that there is a degree of overreach in the cosmetic standards which go beyond the current standards for other types of surgery. For example, the pre-operative workup and assessment and consent process is generally the prerogative of the operating surgeon, not the hospital where the surgery takes place.”

Nevertheless, significant industry progress has been made after the Independent review of cosmetic surgery on Sept. 1, 2022.

Since then, reforms, including strengthened practice and new advertising guidelines, have already been in effect, alongside a registration standard introducing an endorsement for cosmetic surgery.

Medical Board of Australia Chair Dr. Anne Tonkin AO noted a positive impact of strict guidelines, with constructive collaboration from most practitioners.

We are pleased that most practitioners have worked constructively with us towards these reforms,” she said.

“The endorsement for cosmetic surgery will also improve patient safety by bringing in practice standards where there have been none.”