Cosmetic surgery rating system in the works
Maxillofacial plastic surgery places high demand on doctors' skills and the equipment used. The surgery carries certain risks, so it is important to choose qualified facilities and medical staff, according to experts at a Sino-South Korean symposium on maxillofacial surgery.
Ren Tianping, president of Shanghai Meilifang Medical Cosmetology Hospital, said maxillofacial plastic surgery is a difficult and risky procedure involving important nerves and vessels. Any mistake can cause serious problems for patients.
“Such surgery has a very high requirement for the equipment used, the doctor’s qualifications and skills, and the ability of anesthesiologists and the nursing team,” Ren said.
To ensure safety and surgery quality, the local health authority is working on a rating system for cosmetic surgery, medical staff and facilities with procedures allowed only in line with ratings.
Each procedure will be scored according to its complications and risks, said Dr Sun Baoshan from the Shanghai Cosmetic Surgery Quality Control Center.
The rating system can improve supervision and avoid medical accidents. In the future, doctors and facilities rated in the first grade will only be able to perform first-grade surgeries, while those with a higher rating can do more complicated and risky surgeries at a higher grade such as maxillofacial plastic surgery, Sun said.