Here’s the backstory in a nutshell: A 44-year-old pharmaceutical executive collapsed after undergoing a procedure to remove fat from her abdominal flanks and thighs from a general surgeon inadequately trained in the field of aesthetics.
She was rushed to the Singapore General Hospital’s A&E department, but she never woke up. The family of the deceased sued the surgeon for negligence and malpractice and got awarded 5.6 million by the court for the loss of life.
It’s quite a substantial sum, sure. But can we really put a price tag on a lost life, and could it happen to anyone of us looking to drop some pounds or lose some flab?
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What Went Wrong?
In the case of the deceased Madam Mandy Yeong, the first wrong move she made was to entrust the undertaking of the procedure in the hands of a general surgeon, whose field of expertise was general surgical procedures, not aesthetic procedures like liposuction and fat transfer.
Aesthetic procedures have their own set of intricacies that can only be navigated by an experienced aesthetician that understands the possible unique complications that might arise during the procedure.
A general surgeon’s knowledge is as its designation suggests – general. This was the reason why the proper techniques were not applied for the procedure, and help was delayed, because the attending surgeon was at a loss as to what to do when Madam Yeong collapsed.
There are always the right professionals to consult and trust for every medical or aesthetic procedure. Make sure you approach the right experts in the right field if you’re ever put in a situation where surgery is a necessity or a personal choice.
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The Risk Comes with the Scalpel
Any procedure that is of the invasive nature will naturally come with a higher risk of complications and longer downtime.
Invasive procedures are usually performed with the patient under general anesthesia because of the high level of pain from incisions and various other intrusive processes that complete the procedure.
With the veins, arteries, and organs all running the risk of being nicked by the razor shop scalpel, it’s not just the pain that makes invasive procedures less appealing; it really is a matter of life and death.
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Risk-Free Fat Loss
Fat loss procedures will always remain a mainstay in aesthetic circles, in spite of these botched procedures.
Madam Yeong is the second person to succumb to a botched liposuction procedure in 4 years.
While the margin for fatal error range from low to almost zero, non-invasive procedures are starting to rise in prominence, simply because it’s safe.
Treatments like Coolshape, a fat cryolipolysis procedure that literally freezes your fat off and tightens the skin, Dream Body Tone, a vitamin-infused lymph-stimulating ultrasonic toning therapy, and Onda Body Magic, a radiofrequency-based fat-busting treatment, are all extremely competent non-invasive alternatives to liposuction and fat transfer.
All of these procedures serve the exact purpose of their invasive counterparts and then some: breaking down stubborn fatty deposits in the body, smoothening out uneven bumps in the skin caused by cellulite, and even tightening loose skin after the successful loss of fat.
Performed without scalpels and only via the prowess of various laser and sound energies, these are the procedures that really inspire ease of mind when it comes to going through with it, because there is absolutely no chance they’ll end up as a statistic in the ‘botched’ column.
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