Expert: Liposuction Should Be Done ONLY By Surgeons, Not Even General Practitioners

The death of a 23-year-old woman after she went for a liposuction surgery at an unlicensed beauty salon in Cheras has caused a growing concern over many other beauty centres in the country that are offering similar procedures without having any proper qualifications.

Undeniably, there may be certain individuals who still decide to go for risky procedures at these centres as it is cheaper and probably more accessible.

However, experts say that liposuction – the process of removing fat from the body using suction methods – can only be conducted by a certified surgeon. In fact, the surgery needs to be done in a hospital and not at a clinic or beauty treatment centre.

According to Aesthetic Asia Course Director, Datuk Dr Morthy Subramaniam, liposuction surgery is a very dangerous procedure as there is a possibility that patients could have an allergic reaction to the drugs used during the procedure.

This is why strict security procedures are needed to ensure that patients receive emergency treatment in the event of an unwanted incident during the process.

“Many people think that liposuction is a simple process and because of that many beauty treatment operators offer the service but in fact, it can only be done by a surgeon,” Dr Morthy told Berita Harian.

“A general practitioner is also not qualified to perform the surgery, let alone individuals who claim to be beauticians.”

Dr Morthy added that surgery should only be done in a hospital that has the equipment and safety features set as the client would need to be administered anaesthesia which the patient might have an allergic reaction to.

Commenting on the recent case that happened at the Cheras beauty centre, Dr Morthy said that there is a possibility that the victim was given a high dosage of anaesthesia.

He added that yesterday’s case (19 October) should be given attention by the authorities, especially the Ministry of Health as there are many people nowadays claiming to be “aesthetics experts” who come from various backgrounds including doctors and nurses.

“Only certain individuals are recognized as aesthetic experts but today everyone wants to be an expert so there are nurses and hospital technicians who also offer this service at home,” he said.

“The treatment carried out may seem simple but it is actually dangerous to one’s life because we do not know what kind of allergies everyone has. The ministry needs to take this matter more seriously.”

The police have since arrested two women who are owners of the Cheras beauty centre. Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Saiful Azly Kamaruddin said the suspects aged 49 and 23 who are mother and daughter, were detained under Section 304 A of the Penal Code for causing death by negligence

Always do a background check on any beauty centre that you plan to visit before booking an appointment and ensure that they have the proper certificates. But if you plan to do a complicated surgery, always go to a hospital and not a beauty treatment centre. 

Also read: 23yo Girl Dies During Liposuction Surgery On Arms At Unlicensed Beauty Salon In Cheras, KL