Does The Location Of The Surgery Or The Specialty Of The Physician Affect Malpractice Claims In Liposuction?
Dermatologic Surgery
1999 Abstract
9905-343 Coleman
Coleman III WP, Hanke CW, Lillis P, Bernstein G, Narins R.
Does the location of the surgery or the specialty of the physician affect malpractice claims in liposuction? Dermatol Surg. 1999 May;25(5):343-7. PMID: 10469069
Comment in:
Dermatol Surg. 1999 Sep;25(9):737-8.
Department of Dermatology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans,
Louisiana, USA.
BACKGROUND:
There is increasing national dialogue on who should perform liposuction and where it should be performed.
OBJECTIVE:
To determine the effect of the location of liposuction surgery and the specialty of the physician on the incidence of malpractice claims. METHODS: Physicians Insurance Association of
America malpractice data from 1995-1997 was analyzed.
RESULTS:
Hospital-based liposuction had more than 3 times the rate of malpractice settlements than office-based liposuction. Dermatologists accounted for less than 1% of
malpractice claim settlements in liposuction.
CONCLUSION:
Dermatologic liposuction education has emphasized small volume cases performed under local anesthesia using the tumescent technique. The safety of this approach appears to
be validated in terms of decreased malpractice settlements.