RCS calls for realistic approach to Plastic Surgery results

The Royal College of Surgeons has produced new guidelines for the cosmetic surgery industry, which they hope will be made compulsory legally.

Amongst their proposed rules will be tighter regulation on what surgeons may claim prior to surgery taking place, with only objective and quantifiable results being discussed.

They want to ban the use of subjective terminology during the pre-operative assessment. Phrases such as ‘better’, ‘nicer’ or ‘beautiful’ would be banished in favour of subjective terminology such as ‘larger’, ‘smaller’ and ‘more in proportion’ etc.

Discussing copying someone else’’s looks should also be banned, the RCS propose. This would include prospective patients asking to become more like a particular celebrity – in which case the surgeon would be obliged to discuss the end result the patient would receive only in objective terms and referring to their looks only.

In addition to these measures there will be calls to regulate advertising of plastic surgery procedures, including banning bulk buy deals and time-restricted offers – much in the way that BAAPS is also trying to encourage standards, and that is also being discussed by industry experts as part of the Keogh review.

The committee was set up last summer following the PIP breast implant scandal, by Medical Director of the NHS, Sir Bruce Keogh. The full report will be presented to parliament in the spring this year.