Concerns Regarding Fraudulent Advertising
We are concerned about representations being made by commercial clinics in the media and in advertisements in regard to ‘scar free surgery’. As Surgeons with a collective experience of over one hundred years we are fully cogniscent that such assertions simply are untrue
All wounds heal naturally by the formation of fibrous tissue, which is the basis of a scar.
To claim that any surgical procedure is scar free is at best misrepresentation or at worst an admission that the claimant knows nothing about the scientific aspects of surgery and consequently should not be involved in any way in its practice.
Such false claims, based either on deception or ignorance, form a poor basis for the doctor patient relationship and should be prohibited either by the relevant advertising standards authority or the medical practice supervisory authorities.
Maurice Collins
Consultant Surgeon
MB, BCh, BAO, DLO, FRCSI, FRCS, FRCSEd.
Joseph O’Connor
Consultant Surgeon
MB, BCh, BAO, FRCS RCPS Glasg, FRCS Edin, FRCS Eng, FRCSI.
References:
Mathes, SJ, & Hentz, VR (Eds.) Plastic surgery. 2nd edition.
Saunders–Elsevier, Philadelphia , 2006.
Cohen IK, Diegelmann RF and Lindblad WL ( eds) Wound healing :biochemical and clinical aspects ,
Saunders – Elsevier , Philadelphia, 1993,
Kumar V,. Abbas AK , Fausto and N, Aster J (Eds)
Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of disease. 8th edition ,
Saunders-Elsevier , Philadelphia, 2010
Cushieri A, Giles GR & Moossa AR, (eds). Essential Surgical Practice. 4th ed.
Butterworth Heinemann’s, London , 2002.
Hunt TK. Wound Healing and Wound Infection: Theory and Surgical Practice.
Appleton-Century-Crofts, New York, 1980.
