Have you seen those commercials online or in magazines about an in-office procedure that claims to take years off your face or inches from your waist with no downtime or scarring? If you feel a little apprehensive or doubtful about their claims, you may have good reason to.

In a series targeting patient safety in plastic surgery, USA Today found multiple women who believed the promises from these ads and as a result, their lives were put at risk.

A 32 yr old single Mom, Elsie Soto chose to have surgery at a 50% discounted rate at what her lawyer describes as a “fast food court” style of practice where patients choose from a menu of services and the doctor you meet, might not be the doctor who operates or follows up on you. Ms. Soto ended up suffering from complications that landed her in a hospital with two blood transfusions, permanent damage to her sciatic nerve and mounting medical bills.

At the same low-cost, high volume surgery clinic, Joyce Wooten, a 53 yr old patient from Tampa, Florida received a highly commercialized brand name facelift procedure that boasts shorter recovery time and less scarring, but instead ended up with loose flaps of skin on her neck, lopsided ears and a long, painful recovery. She threatened a lawsuit and had to hide her face until after she received a revision procedure. Wooten believes the worst part was being awake during her facelift. Many clinics that perform these types of surgeries are not accredited and only use local anesthesia like lidocaine. It’s less expensive, but not appropriate for every surgery and dangerous in the hands of an inexperienced surgeon.

These low-cost high volume centers are known to have the latest brand name procedures and even board-certified plastic surgeons, but they also come with heavy sales pressure, tight schedules and overworked staff who cannot adequately screen patients or perform sufficient follow-up. Along with a general lack of standard of care, risks are often downplayed to the patients in an effort to sell a procedure and one company even admitted to falsifying online reviews.

In the end, if it sounds too good to be true, be especially cautious and do your research. It could save you a lot of headaches, or even your life.

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