Most plastic surgeons in Dominican Republic unqualified

Santo Domingo.- Over 70% of physicians who perform aesthetic surgery in Dominican Republic aren’t qualified to perform such procedure and has become the leading cause of deaths and infections in patients, Plastic Surgeons Association president Otoniel Diaz revealed Wednesday.

He said though the country has 120 doctors trained and qualified to perform cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, more than 300 with no certification, including general practitioners, perform surgeries in clinics and unlicensed facilities.

Diaz said the Association has denounced the presence of fake plastic surgeons for years, but has gone mostly ignored.

Warning

The Public Health Ministry recently warned clinics against letting unlicensed doctors provide services and use their operating rooms unless they meet all requirements.

Public Health recently shuttered the private clinic Adelgazamiento Estética del Cuerpo y Ginecología (Ideamec) in the city of Santiago, in the wake of the death of two of its patients.