Compulsory notification of injuries in aesthetic procedures. Impact on patient safety

Abstract

The disparity between the number of aesthetic procedures performed worldwide, and the complications described in the literature is remarkable. Doubts regarding the underreporting are reasonable and should be considered. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the scarcity of scientific publications on complications in aesthetic procedures compared to the abundance of these procedures performed worldwide. Based on this knowledge, it will be demonstrated to the health authorities the importance of compulsory notification of complications in aesthetic procedures that require medical attention so that the available data will allow their prevention. The limitation of knowledge regarding complications was demonstrated in the data collection for the preparation of the thesis “Deaths Related to Liposuction in Brazil” presented in 2018 and published in Surgical and Cosmetical Dermatology in 2020. The definition of complication in aesthetic procedures needs to be objective to prevent different and subjective interpretations. With the compulsory notification of complications in aesthetic procedures, it is intended to learn about their causes to develop guidelines for their prevention.