The United States has seen an increase in the popularity of different plastic surgery procedures over the past five years. A new report from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) showed that the total number of cosmetic surgery patients reached almost 18 million in 2018. It also reported a considerable rise in non-surgical procedures, with qualified doctors performing almost 200% of procedures.

However, while more and more people are undergoing plastic surgery, "fake doctors" are also luring customers into getting harmful procedures by offering cheaper prices for their services. Physician impersonation began in the 19th century, a time when medical research was gaining momentum. People have different reasons for pretending to be doctors. It can be to forge relationships or to disguise their predatory actions. Thus, potential cosmetic surgery patients should understand what might occur when consulting with "fake doctors," or individuals without adequate license and training, who may go far as forging certifications.

Temporary Blindness After Undergoing Botulinum Toxin Injections

Most patients visit professional cosmetic surgeons for botulinum toxin injections which help in preventing wrinkles. Nowadays, dentists can also inject these substances in their patients. Dentists in 22 U.S. states can administer neurotoxin and dermal fillers legally. However, a proper injection requires a plastic surgeon’s expertise, expertise in form of focused trainings on facial anatomy and the facial muscles responsible for expressing human emotions and may damage them if not careful.

If, for example, a fake doctor or an inexperienced individual does not administer toxins properly on a patient, he or she may experience the following complications:

• Difficulty in closing her eyes
• Drooping eyes
• Numb eyes
• Swollen lower eyelids

Thus, injecting botulinum toxins around a patient’s eyes require extra attention since it is a delicate area. The FDA does not recommend performing this treatment on patients.

Side Effects from Improper Silicone Injections

Both legal and illegal medical procedures use medical and industrial-grade silicone for different purposes. Non-physicians clean their furniture and insulate their electrical transformers using silicone while doctors are allowed by law to use these products for various procedures.

When fake doctors administer industrial-grade silicone on patients, the substance can cause tissue to harden than usual, causing the patient to experience severe pain. Patients may also get cysts or die from silicone blockage that can block blood vessels and the lungs.

On another note, improper use of medical-grade silicone might affect a patient’s bodily functions. The law does not allow physicians to administer the liquid on patients unless they store it in a safe container or inject them in small amounts. Otherwise, individuals can suffer from pulmonary embolism, a medical condition that occurs when silicone leaks and flows in a person’s bloodstream and eventually accumulate in the lungs.

Complications from Different Procedures Performed in the Black Market

People will often see counterfeit cosmetic products and fake doctors in countries that are popular for their plastic surgery procedures. Fake doctors deceive unsuspecting customers into undergoing plastic surgery at illegal clinics or medical facilities. There are also patients who come to salons, homes, and spas for black market procedures.

Fake doctors offer a variety of black market cosmetic treatments. These procedures include the following:

• Buttock procedures
• Lip augmentation
• Botox injections
• Rhinoplasty
• Fat transfer

Customers usually resort to black market procedures because they cost less than your average legal cosmetic surgery. Most fake doctors don’t even bother to ask about the medical history of their customers and instead blindly proceed with surgery. Qualified surgeons would exercise their critical reasoning and respectfully decline their patient’s demands if they know that their requested procedures or treatments would do more harm than good.

Patients can experience the following side effects after undergoing black market procedures:

• Minor infections, abscesses, and related diseases • Tissue death • Internal organ damage such as kidney failure • Blood clots • Inflammation • Lumps from formed substances in the patient’s body • Stiff nodules and serious pain • Acute scars or asymmetry resulting in impaired physical features • Paralysis

Fortunately, certified physicians can help prevent further complications caused by these conditions if patients address them early. However depending on the condition, complications can lead to more devastating intervention such has amputation.

Cases of Actual Deaths

In 2008, the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery reported that 75% of doctors had encountered illegal medical spas run by ghost doctors. This statistic shows how unqualified individuals working in these unlicensed facilities can give dangerous surgeries or treatments to patients.

Aside from causing potential complications or side effects, black market procedures done by fake doctors can cause patient deaths. These deaths continue to occur despite relatively low death rates related to general cosmetic surgeries.

Liposuction in unlicensed medical spas is one example wherein medical malpractice is rampant. Inexperienced individuals in such facilities use local anesthesia rather than general anesthesia on patients. Once patients experience severe pain from the operation, fake doctors can risk injecting excessive amounts of local anesthesia which can cause respiratory depression on patients that may lead to death.

How Can Patients Distinguish Fake Doctors From Qualified Physicians?

The U.S. government has been pursuing fake doctors and companies selling counterfeit plastic surgery products continuously following complaints from numerous victims. American authorities continue to do so even as they enforce stringent regulations on plastic surgery. However, there are unqualified or fake doctors who would still go against laws regarding cosmetic surgery for profitability.

Any skin-based cosmetic treatment under a skilled physician is a legitimate medical treatment as dictated by most U.S. medical boards. However, fake doctors use different interpretations surrounding medical supervision in state laws to operate without any consequences.

Before undergoing plastic surgery, potential patients should consider the following factors in choosing a plastic surgeon:

• Board certification
• Their expertise in performing certain cosmetic procedures or treatments
• Their aesthetic sense
• Surgeon or staff treatment towards their patients
• Information on their clinic
• Customer service

Consulting a fake doctor may lead to more money, time and well-being wasted on corrections of the aftermath. Thus, patients should exercise prudence and careful review when searching for a plastic surgeon to consult.