Web sites such as MyFreeImplants may encounter a new challenge, at least in the UK. According to a report in the Sunday Times, doctors who perform surgery on women who have crowdfunded breast implants “could find themselves in front of the [ General Medical Council] GMC and potentially banned from practising”. Reportedly the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) will be releasing new rules that deter utilizing web sites that help women to crowdfund for cosmetic surgery.
The GMC’s mission is to protect the public. The entity is independent of government and the medical profession but is accountable to Parliament. Parliament empowered GMC via the Medical Act 1983. The last guidance regarding cosmetic interventions was issued in June of 2015. At that time the GMC required doctors to consider patients’ psychological needs and, if necessary, seek expert advice from colleagues. They also demanded responsible marketing.
The RCS has announced that it will launch a range of tools and services to improve the quality of care for cosmetic surgery patients in mid-2016.
The BBC has covered the topic on multiple occasions commenting on MyFreeImplants which is based in the US but has seen significant growth in the UK. Mary O’Brien of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons called the practice “degrading”, stating they were “deeply concerned”. It appears that action is now at hand.
Meanwhile, MyFreeImplants claims to have provided crowdfunded breast implants to over 1200 women. Cosmetic surgeons are encouraged to become partner doctors to “connect with tens of thousands of breast augmentation patients looking for quality surgeons.”
You may watch a video from BBC on the phenomena published this mid last year.