His website proudly proclaims:
“I am the most senior Academic Plastic Surgeon in
South Africa and a Professor for 21 years.
I belong to
the International Aesthetic Surgery Association, International Burn Society
& many more South African Societies.
I have a
Masters Degree in Plastic Surgery & have a fellowship from the American
College of Surgeons & am an associate of the South African College of
Plastic Surgeons.
Although I cover the full spectrum of Cosmetic
Surgery my interest is mainly aesthetic surgery such as facial, body contouring
& reconstructive breast surgery”.
And yet, on enquiry - the Health Professions Council of South Africa
will confirm that since 1999 they have received 46 complaints related to
incompetence & malpractice from patients operated on by this particular
Plastic Surgeon – the most recent complaint having been lodged on 13th
January this year.
One
of these cases is Lorraine who went to see this surgeon because of a lump in
her breast. The lump turned out to be benign, but because Lorraine was
conscious of a history of breast-cancer in her family, she was easily persuaded
to let him perform what he termed the “Rolls-Royce of operations” on her –
where he removed both of her breasts & rebuilt new ones out of tissue from
her stomach.
Six surgical procedures later, for Lorraine the
result turned out to be a disaster which devastated her life - causing a
break-up in her relationship at the time & driving her to contemplate
suicide.
Today she is living with a situation where her left
breast is a D-cup and her right a B-cup. During the numerous procedures,
through infection she lost her “belly-button” as well as two subsequent
reconstructed ones.
Her
reconstructed breasts developed gangrene & the most devastating thing was
when her left nipple fell off in the bath – she was so confused & desperate
that she even considered trying to get a replacement from the mortuary.
As a result of muscle tissue cut out from her
stomach, Lorraine can not get in and out of a sitting position without using
her arms to lift herself out – she has no strength in her stomach muscles.
Remarkably,
in all of the cases heard – including Lorraine’s - the HPCSA has ruled in
favour of this particular surgeon & he has not even so much as received an
official reprimand.
How
is this possible?
Tonight,
in “Conduct Unbecoming”, Special Assignment investigates allegations of
malpractice & incompetence against South Africa’s self-proclaimed “most
senior” Academic Plastic Surgeon
……………………..