In UK, Difficulty Getting Doctor Referrals Drives Patients to DIY Plastic Surgery
new report warns that in the UK, some patients find it nearly impossible to get referrals to specialist doctors. As a result, some may take the drastic step of 'DIY surgery' because they can't find a qualified surgeon for the procedure they are seeking, according to Pulse Today.
Because of stringent criteria under the National Health Service (NHS), patients are unable to get a referral to a specialist to perform their procedure, which includes cosmetic surgery as well as other medical treatments. The team of surgeons writing the report warn that recent NHS reforms are likely to make the problem worse.
They cite the case of a 60-year-old man whose doctor refused to refer him for nipple reduction surgery. As a result, he tied silk tightly around his nipples, hoping that they would fall off. He ended up receiving surgery to repair the damage caused. Another patient had cysts on his head and neck which were deemed cosmetic, leaving him ineligible for a surgical referral. He carried out DIY surgery, using a knife that had been sterilized with a cigarette lighter and closing the cuts with a sewing kit, and ended up hospitalized with infections.
The recent report, by surgeons from the University Hospital of North Staffordshire, was published in the Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery.