Saving money and getting discounts for your favorite beauty treatments might seem like a good idea, but beauty treatments are not medical procedures. For surgery or injectable treatments, NEVER go to an unlicensed professional or a non-board certified plastic surgeon.

In a recent USA Today article, one patient, Kellee Lee-Howard, a wife and mother of 6 young children paid the ultimate price for savings – her life. Kellee went to a clinic to receive what she thought was a minimally invasive liposuction treatment, returned home feeling ill and was found in the morning not breathing. Later investigation revealed that she had too much lidocaine, a common local anesthetic, in her body, which is a tell-tale sign of a lack of understanding and training in plastic surgery.

The doctor who performed the procedure, Alberto Sant Antonio is not board certified in any medical specialty including plastic surgery and has an unregistered surgery center at his office. This case is unfortunately not the first lawsuit against him for the death of one of his patients and is not uncommon across the US by other doctors posing as plastic surgeons.

Most states do not have specific laws about practicing surgery outside of the doctor’s specialty and it is estimated there are 50 to one hundred thousand non-certified doctors performing plastic surgery in the US today. These doctors are not allowed to practice in accredited facilities and do not have the years of studying, training and experience to perform plastic surgery, administer medications or handle any complications that are involved.

Don’t let Kellee Lee-Howard’s death be in vain – make sure your plastic surgeon is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. You can use the “Find a Plastic Surgeon” option on projectbeauty.com to find one in your area.

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