Plastic surgeon demands end to 'cowboy' practitioners (From Watford Observer)

Spire Bushey Hospital plastic surgeon Ash Mosahebi demands end to 'cowboy' practitioners

2:10pm Thursday 21st March 2013 in News By Kathryn Snowdon, Reporter

A surgeon at a Bushey hospital is urging people to be aware of cosmetic surgery "cowboys".

Ash Mosahebi is a consultant at Spire Bushey Hospital and a spokesman for The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS).

Mr Mosahebi, a surgeon at the hospital for seven years, said he has seen a rise of two or three people a month coming forward about cosmetic procedures that have gone wrong, the most common procedure being lip fillers.

He said: "I have been worried about this for quite some time, but more and more people are coming forward now. The issue isn’t being swept under the carpet like it once was.

"I think it is a huge problem because most of the cosmetic surgery done in this country is done by people who don’t have NHS cover.

"I am not saying they are all cowboys, but in order to become an NHS consultant, it involves rigorous checks."

He also said that the rise in adverts of cosmetic procedures, leads people to get sucked into cheap deals.

The consultant surgeon said if someone is thinking about having a cosmetic procedure then they should look at regulated medical associations such as the BAAPS or the British Association of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS).