4/16/08
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) has approved two rule changes that will make it less likely that patients seeking aesthetic surgery will find themselves in the hands of a general practitioner with no special training in the field.
"There is actually no such term as cosmetic surgery," says Preston Zuliani, CPSO president. "That is a term that has been made up."
The rules come 7 months after the death of Krista Stryland, a 32-year-old real-estate agent, who had a liposuction procedure performed by a family doctor who advertised herself as an aesthetic surgeon.
The rules will have to be approved by the provincial government before taking effect. One will prohibit physicians from describing themselves as surgeons unless they have been formally certified. The other will prohibit physicians from advertising themselves as practicing surgeons in which they are not formally accredited, or in fields not formally recognized by licensing bodies.
[www.theglobeandmail.com, April 11, 2008]
