How not to handle plastic surgery malpractice pubicity.

My Surgery Nightmare: An unhappy patient takes on her plastic surgeon.

Plastic surgeons are among, if not the most, likely physician objects of malpractice claims. And when patients want to punish you, they now have resouces. Case in point; mysurgerynightmare.com.

The reasoning is simple. Where an unwanted outcome in cardio-thorasic surgery is marked off as a given possibility, people who are looking at plastic surgery don't have the same expectation of risk. Cosmetic treatments are viewed as flawless and doctors often minimize the possibility of an unwanted outcome.

A poor result strikes directly at a patients ego and perception of self. Not something you want to damage and remain friends.The

The level of communication and networking now available on the web gives anyounparalledled access to spreading their views.

From the site:  

***UPDATE: Dr. Sykes tried to force me to take down this website by suing me for defamation. On January 26th, 2007 the California Court of Appeal unanimously ruled that Dr. Sykes' claims had no merit.  The Court found that my website contributed to the public debate regarding plastic surgery.  The Court also said that the statements on my website regarding Dr. Sykes were either true or were matters of opinion.  It said Dr. Sykes was unable to show that there was any false information on this website.  Since the Court of Appeal ruled in my favor, Dr. Sykes and his attorney have continued claiming that my website is misleading.  But the Court considered and rejected all of their arguments.

And there's this:

In a sworn deposition on October 26, 2004 it was asked of Dr. Sykes if he's ever been a defendant in any other medical malpractice lawsuits.  His answer was "I think three others."

The fact is Dr. Jonathan Sykes has  MANY medical malpractice lawsuits filed against him.

Medical malpractice lawsuits* were filed against Dr. Sykes on  9/9/2005 ,  7/21/2005,  4/12/2005,  7/12/04,  5/25/2004,  12/01/2003, 12/11/2002,  4/15/2002,  12/12/2001,  8/18/2000 and 11/14/1991.

 Does Dr. Sykes really want eveyone to know that he was sued three seperate times in 2005?

Certainly there is widespread distain for all things legal among physicians. Just take a look over at Kevin MD where there's continual back and forth among docs and malpractice attorneys. 

Part of the problem is the inherent conflict of interest in plastic surgery and other elective procedures. Where a doc in an ER is not choosing patients and is generally on salary, a cosmetic plastic surgeon is performing and elective procedure and benefiting directly from the payment.

Ah, there's the rub.