Patient safety in medical spas, medispas

Cosmetic Surgery :: Patient safety in medical spas, medispas

The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery has released a white paper to its members and public concerning medical spas, a growing trend in cosmetic surgery. A medical spa is a facility offering a range of aesthetic procedures including both those typically offered in a spa, such as facials as well as non-invasive cosmetic surgery procedures such as fillers and laser treatments.

A review of laws in several states showed that none of those states had laws specific to medispas, but that they still fell under state laws regulating healthcare facilities. But, these laws varied from state to state.

The paper urges physicians considering affiliation with such a facility to consult and attorney and their insurance carrier before they become involved with a medispa or open their own.

Most importantly, the paper urges patient safety in medispas and says that physicians should be directly involved with all patient care in a medispa. It tells patients to treat a procedure at a medispa like they would any medical procedure and to ask the same questions of the physician they would elsewhere.