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Cosmetic Surgery

Resources

  • WHIS Breast Implants Information pack - August 2005
  • WHIS Breast Implants Fact Sheet Updated - May 2005
  • Pamphlet: What to expect from your doctor when you have a cosmetic procedure. Medical Council of NZ. June 2008. Available from Women's Health Action and from here as a download

See also Breast Implants

Making sense of female genital alteration practices

2008 Virginia Braun
Department of Psychology, The University of Auckland

Around the globe, girls and women routinely undergo a range of genital alteration procedures. Some procedures, such as some intersex surgery or labial reduction, are performed once with permanent effects; others, such as pubic hair removal or vaginal drying, need to be done repeatedly, as their effects are only temporary. Some are done without choice, or against the person's will; others are 'freely' chosen. Some practices are agonised over; others are so mundane and routine they are barely questioned. Some, such as 'traditional' genital cutting ([FGC] also known as female genital mutilation (FGM)), are illegal and legislated against in many countries; others, such as genital cosmetic surgery, are available to all who can pay up front or qualify for finance. What unites all these procedures is an understanding of the way women's genitalia should be, if girls and women are to be appropriately gendered and sexually desirable. My focus in this article is exploring understandings of women's genitalia, and how they inform and enable alteration practices, through an examination of the specific practice of female genital cosmetic surgery in the west.... Read More

NZ Medical Council looks at guidelines for cosmetic surgery

May 2007 Women's Health Update

In New Zealand, many doctors who are not qualified as surgeons also perform cosmetic procedures, including invasive surgery. In recent years, the demand for 'appearance medicine' has increased substantially, largely in response to unrealistic media images of 'perfect' faces and bodies, coverage of 'designer vaginas', and makeover television programmes with promises of 'looking 10 years younger in two weeks'. Joanne Adams looks at what is proposed. Read More (pdf)

Reshaping women; beauty, fashion and advertising

May 2005 Women's Health Update

Looking good these days may involve more than a trip to the hairdressers, a long soak in the bath and a visit to the beauty parlour for a facial. For increasing numbers of women it means undergoing a great deal of pain as the result of the cutting and/or piercing of various body parts, the partial or complete removal of hair from their genitals, followed by the display of increasing amount of flesh including the breasts, stomach and buttocks.

Sheila Jeffreys, author and lecturer in the Department of Political Science at Melbourne University, was the guest speaker at the Women's Suffrage Breakfast. In a preview of some of the ideas in her new book 'Beauty and Misogyny: Harmful Cultural Practices in the West' which is due out later this year, Sheila described how the beauty, fashion and advertising industries have come together to reshape and 'beautify' women in ways that involve increasingly extreme and brutal cultural practices. She spoke of how the fashion and advertising industries have crossed the line between fashion and pornography - evidenced by a browse through the magazines and daily newspapers in any bookshop, supermarket or corner diary... Read More

Doctors punished for poor care of women during cosmetic procedures

September 2001 Women's Health Watch

Cosmetic surgery and so-called 'appearance medicine' have been in the news with two high profile cases involving Dr Ian Little and Dr Warren Chan. Sandra Coney reports.

In the High Court, Dr Little was convicted of 'failing to provide the necessaries of life thereby endangering [Leana Steven's] life or permanently injuring her health.' Mrs Steven died following a face peeling procedure. Dr Chan was found guilty of professional misconduct by the Medical Disciplinary Tribunal for failing to gain informed consent to a liposuction procedure, inadequate notes and providing inadequate care and follow-up. This is the fourth time Dr Chan has been found to have provided poor care in the course of his liposuction work and the Medical Council has circulated a warning to women and women's groups (see below)... Read More

Notice to women's health organisations from the Medical Council of New Zealand

2001

You may be aware of publicity in August about Dr Warren Chan who is a doctor in Auckland. Dr Chan undertakes cosmetic procedures such as liposuction and breast implants or reductions. Dr Chan is currently suspended from practising medicine until January 2002. He is not allowed to treat, prescribe medicine or operate on patients in any way. Dr Chan was suspended in April this year dur to continuing professional misconduct. The circumstances of Dr Chan's most recent offending before the Medical Practitioners' Disciplinary Tribunal were not informing a patient properly about a procedure, its risks, benefits or suitability, seriously deficient anaesthetic practice, and manifestly inadequate records kept before, during and after the operation. The Medical Council recommends that people considering invasive cosmetic surgery go to a vocationally registered plastic and reconstructive surgeon. If women have concerns or queries about this doctor, please call the Medical Council on 04 384 7635 and ask to speak to the Assistant Registrar. Sue Ineson Chief Executive/Registrar

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