Statistics do seem to indicate there is an upward trend is wrongful cosmetic surgery treatments; so, would you have a claim for clinical negligence following a bad cosmetic surgery experience?

It is hard to imagine that there can be a worse feeling - you go into have cosmetic surgery treatment to improve your features and hopefully boost your self-esteem and when you finish, you find that something has gone horribly wrong and you have been disfigured for life!

Establishing A Claim

In order for a clinical negligence solicitor to establish that you have a medical negligence claim, the solicitor needs to show that a duty of care situation existed between you and the surgeon and that the surgeon was negligent in this.

Fortunately or unfortunately, however you wish to look at this, prior to 1 April 2002 there was no method of ensuring that the private cosmetic surgeon who treated you had any specialist cosmetic surgery training. Indeed, even if they are still practicing today, if they started practising cosmetic surgery prior 1 April 2002, there would still be no requirement that they had received specialist cosmetic training.

For this reason, having established that a duty of care relationship existed, it should be much easier for your solicitor to show that the surgeon acted negligently than would otherwise be the case in a more mainstream medical negligence claim.

Alternative means of establishing a claim for clinical negligence compensation include:

Informed Consent

Nearly all cases involving cosmetic surgery negligence claims centre on the issue of whether or not you had the appropriate informed consent prior to the procedure. Basically, 'informed consent' means that the surgeon or doctor treating you is required to inform you of:

o the potential benefits of the cosmetic treatment you are about to have, something most cosmetic surgeons are very happy to talk about;

o the potential risks that are associated with the cosmetic surgery procedure you are going to undertake, something most cosmetic surgeons talk about reluctantly; and

o what the alternatives are to the treatment you are about to receive, something cosmetic surgeons sometimes fail to inform their patients!

Without your informed consent to the cosmetic surgery, it is possible for your clinical negligence solicitor to establish that a clinical negligence claim exists and to ask for clinical negligence compensation.

Injury Compensation

Besides lack of informed consent, a clinical negligent solicitor can also establish a case for clinical negligence in the event that you suffer any disfigurement or scaring following the procedure, or if the treatment results in you have some other form of disfigurement - such as damaged nerve-ends, damaged internal organs, abrasion, etc.

Dental Surgery

In addition to the more common claim of negligent treatment in cosmetic surgery, if you have recently received any cosmetic dental treatment that did not produce the results you were lead to believe would be the case by the advertising you read, or if the cosmetic dental surgery procedure was painful, or left you in any way disfigured, you may well have the right to claim for dental negligence compensation - so make sure you check this out with your solicitor.

What Should You Do If You Think You Have A Claim?

If you believe you have a clinical negligence claim following cosmetic surgery, you should see a specialist in clinical negligence as soon as you can.

Keep in mind that only a very small fraction of medical negligence claims involving cosmetic surgery procedures are allowed to apply for public funding (such as Legal Aid) to help pay the costs of a claim.

As such, if you cannot afford a specialist clinical negligence solicitor, then you should try and see a compensation solicitor on a no win no fee claim basis as court cases involving clinical negligence centred around cosmetic surgery practices can be time consuming and costly.

Miami and its environs have long boasted a large and well entrenched group of cosmetic plastic surgery professionals. Some of the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures - notably the face lift - are popular due to aging skin conditions accelerated by exposure to the sun. That has been going on in Miami for as long as there have been outdoor chaise lounges.

Today, cosmetic surgery has become a socially acceptable option and millions of people are taking advantage of the new techniques and affordable prices in the business. In Miami and the surrounding area there are residents from every point in the economic spectrum, including a middle class that includes many first-generation members who have been given a better life by their parents. As the range of body enhancement options has expanded, so has the number of people in this country who can afford them.

Newer treatments such as Botox and liposuction have been folded into cosmetic surgery practices that offer the established and popular standbys such as breast augmentation, face lifts and rhinoplasty (nose alteration). The mix of options, the number of cosmetic surgeons in the market, and the changing demographics have led to some marketing practices in the cosmetic surgery field that you should ignore.

1. Beware the $99 specials and limited offers. You're shopping for someone to take a scalpel to your body; in plastic surgery as in the rest of life, you get what you pay for.

2. Consultation fees can be significant and lead nowhere. If you interview with a cosmetic surgeon that insists on a consultation fee, you should either look elsewhere or insist that the fee be applied to the cost of surgery.

3. Some Miami cosmetic surgery services offer financing for the more expensive procedures. That's fine, if the loan terms aren't onerous. Your cosmetic surgeon should explain financing terms to you, not his accountant or office manager. If there are financing charges built in they should be minimal. Most doctors and dentists who allow payment plans do not charge interest.

4. Know the price range for the service you are seeking. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons has a good statistics section on its web site that lists average prices for surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures. Take a copy with you and don't lose sight of the charges if you get into a discussion about multiple procedures.

5. In fact, beware the "upsell" technique. If you're looking for a tummy tuck and find during your consultation that the cosmetic surgeon is pushing additional liposuction and lifts that double the cost but "at a significant savings" you might look elsewhere.

Afraid of going under the cosmetic surgeon's knife? Try one of many non-invasive treatment options to get a younger looking skin!

We all have some feature of our body that we are not crazy about, some blemished or flawed area that we would love to change. Today, with the help of plastic surgery procedures we no longer need to live with those annoying imperfections anymore. Whoa, hold on, you say. You are not ready to go under the knife for some costly and extensive cosmetic surgery? Well fortunately, plastic surgeons also offer non-invasive options that can produce similar effects.

Non-invasive plastic surgery options include the procedures that do not involve cutting, removing, and sewing skin back up. One of the most popular non-invasive options is laser skin resurfacing. Plastic surgeons use a laser tool to remove layers of skin from your face in order to uncover fresh, new, undamaged skin. This technique is great for softening the look of crows feet wrinkles and lines around the mouth. This option of cosmetic surgery usually takes place in an outpatient center, but can also be performed in a hospital or surgeon's office. The procedure lasts anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour. While the results are impressive, your skin may be left tender and sensitive to the sun for many months afterwards.

Another option to the plastic surgeon's knife is collagen injections. This type of plastic surgery alternative is good for filling out your lips, plumping up your facial skin to reduce wrinkles and restore a more youthful look, thereby decreasing the visibility of scars. Collagen injections are also a lunchtime procedure, performed in an outpatient facility in under an hour typically. While it does involve a needle, it is much less invasive than a full cosmetic surgery requiring cuts and stitches. Collagen injections are a great option because there is virtually no recovery time and the results can last for several months.

A similar non-invasive option is Botox. Botox is a type of toxin (bacteria that is safe for the face and human body) which is injected into the face for its enhancement. The toxin helps in slowing the ageing process and reducing the look of fine lines and wrinkles. It fills out the skin in sagging areas of the face to make it look more like it did one or two decades earlier (depending on your age). It is a pain-free way to reduce wrinkles, especially in the forehead and smile creases. Botox can be inserted into the desired areas in an outpatient clinic within half hour. Again there is no recovery period and the results stick around for several months after which many patients return to the cosmetic surgeon for another dose.

Today there is a cosmetic surgery procedure to fit every need, even those unable or unwilling to actually have surgery performed. If you are longing for a younger look, talk to a plastic surgeon about the many non-invasive plastic surgery options available for you. There are bound to be several that fit your preferences, your time constraints, and your budget. While it may be true that you will have to keep coming back for non-invasive procedures but it may be worth as you can avoid the cosmetic surgeon's knife.