Some medical school graduates with as little as two hours of training are billing themselves as ‘cosmetic surgeons’ and botching procedures, it has been revealed.
A widespread overhaul of the industry ‘flouting regulations’ has been called for by NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard, the Daily Telegraph reports.
The cosmetic surgery industry reportedly has a little known loop hole, meaning any medical graduate who is a registered doctor can call themselves a ‘cosmetic surgeon’ despite not having any training in the specialised surgery.
The billion-dollar industry has been described by a former nurse as the ‘wild, wild west’, with medical graduates who failed their GP exams being some of the faces behind cosmetic surgeons.
It comes just three weeks after the owner of a beauty clinic died in a Sydney hospital after a botched cosmetic breast operation went wrong.
Jean Huang, 35, suffered a cardiac arrest during the cosmetic procedure after she was given 10 times the normal dose of painkiller.
Chinese tourist Jie Shao, 33, who had no licence to practice medicine in Australia, has been charged after allegedly carrying out the botched procedure.
Shao, who only arrived in Australia five days before being arrested, is facing 20 years behind bars and is currently in custody.
According to the investigation by News Corp, there are a number of ‘cosmetic surgeons’ undertaking procedures without full qualifications including Botox being administered by nurses and the use of ‘low level sedation’ to keep patients awake during breast surgery.
The Daily Telegraph also revealed Enhance Cosmetics at Penrith is operating despite the facility not being licensed.
NSW Health is investigating legal action to close the clinic.