Death at Weston MedSpa May Bring National Reforms

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At this rate, what next? Do-It-Yourself home liposuction kits?

​I know this may come as bad news to the middle-class folks with a jones for cosmetic surgery, but the days of bargain Botox may soon be over. This is the kind of article that politicians tend to clip out, then paste into a new piece of legislation. It appears to have been inspired by the death in September of Rohie Kah-Orukatan of Weston. From the New York Times:

On Sept. 25, Mrs. Kah-Orukotan, a 37-year-old nurse, entered the Weston MedSpa in Weston, Fla., for a minimally invasive liposuction procedure to remove fat from her abdomen and thighs. During the treatment, she suffered seizures and never regained consciousness.

And here's where politicians get their cue:

The case, which is still under investigation, raises several issues that concern experts around the country. First, should the treatment -- which may actually have been, by the state's classification, a more advanced, or Level II, liposuction procedure -- have been performed at Weston MedSpa, which is licensed as an electrolysis facility, not a medical facility?

Well, the fact that the patient died suggests... probably not. The article goes on to explain how the doctor learned liposuction in a three-day course.

Granted, there are a great many satisfied customers in this medical spa industry -- a Palm Beach Gardens woman is also quoted, boasting about how she took advantage of a sale on facial fillers at a local salon. But clearly, this is a case where the market for cheap cosmetic surgery outran the regulators, and before long a correction must be made.

A challenge that will also test the mettle of the medical spa industry: Have their practitioners figured out how to bundle campaign contributions?