Tallahassee, Fla. — Liposuction in Florida became
safer recently with the adoption of new regulations and restrictions on
where the procedure can be performed.
Gov. Rick Scott signed the new regulations
into law in April; they are scheduled to take effect in January 2013.
Supporters of the new restrictions include the Florida Society of
Plastic Surgeons, the Florida Medical Association and the Florida Board
of Medicine.
According to the new rules, all liposuctions that
remove more than about two pounds of fat must now take place in
regulated offices equipped with lifesaving equipment and a doctor
specially trained in lifesaving techniques. Offices will also have to
be inspected by the state or undergo accreditation.
Some doctors
foresee internists and nonsurgeons giving up the procedure, rather than
attempting to meet the new, stricter regulations.
There is also
concern that the new regulations will raise the costs of some
procedures, but backers of the new law insist safety is the impetus for
the law. There have been reports of cases in Florida in which
unregulated doctors or medical spas performed liposuction using
sedative pills or creams rather than appropriate anesthesia, the Sun-Sentinel reports.
The
American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery notes that it requires
its members to operate in accredited, state-licensed or
Medicare-certified facilities.
By: Paul Gillette
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