The Charlotte Observer recently published an article regarding a Huntersville doctor who has been banned by the North Carolina Medical Board from performing surgeries in his office that require sedation anesthesia, saying that at least four of the doctor’s patients received “below the standard of acceptable and prevailing medical practice.” Sedation safety during surgery has and continues to be a major concern and source of malpractice lawsuits for hospitals and medical practices. Substandard care in the area of sedation safety can lead to many harmful consequences for patients, including death.

The Breaking News Story

Dr. Briggs E. Cook who practices medicine at PURE Facial Plastic Surgery and MedSpa in Huntersville, NC was reprimanded by the North Carolina Medical board for failing to follow multiple medical sedation safety procedures on several occasions. Cook is certified as an Ophthalmologist by the American Board of Ophthalmology. It is important to note that Dr. Briggs Cook was only reprimanded, meaning he is still licensed to practice medicine in North Carolina. However, he had been performing facial surgeries including facelifts. In one instance, a patient actually died as a result of cardiac arrest following a revision facial surgery performed by Dr. Cook. While the North Carolina Medical Board cited clearly “substandard care” and many concerns regarding Dr. Cooks procedures, the death was ruled as the result of natural causes.

Dr. Kevin Smith’s Interview

Our own Dr. Kevin Smith was interviewed for this article. He notes that Ophthalmologists such as Dr. Cook can legally perform surgery on eyeballs, tear ducts, and even eyelids. However, they are not considered specialists in the area of facial plastic surgery such as face lifts. Dr. Smith emphasizes the need for truth-in-advertising laws for medical practices that would require doctors to be fully transparent regarding their area of expertise.

As of now, North Carolina does not have a truth in advertising laws for medical practices. Thus, patients may be easily duped by doctors who are falsely advertising their specialties and services. Dr. Smith strongly feels that this case is clearly representative of why North Carolina needs to pass truth in advertising laws that would require physicians to be transparent about their specialties and therefore protect patients from being misled.

Read the full article, here.

How To Know If Plastic Surgery Is Safe

So how do you know if your plastic surgery is safe? Are there plastic surgery safety tips that you can follow? The two most important qualifications to look for are that your surgeon is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and that the facility in which he or she operates is accredited by an organization, such as the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities or (AAAASF). Here at Charlotte Plastic Surgery, we want to assure all of our potential and existing patients that we are fully and truly transparent regarding plastic surgery safety, our services, and the expertise of all of our physicians, nurses, and medical staff. We strongly believe in highest quality medical care. We also strongly encourage anyone who in interested in any type of plastic surgery to really research both the desired procedures as well as the potential physicians and medical practices of choices.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to give us a call today or visit our website for more information.