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Medical Liability in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

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Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Part of the book series: Springer Specialist Surgery Series ((SPECIALIST))

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Summary

With the increasing popularity and interest in aesthetic surgery among the general population, the need for an adequate understanding of the complicated interplay of circumstances that leads to dissatisfied patients and potential legal action has great significance. This chapter aims to identify the salient legal principles related to patient care as well as potential pitfalls. In addition, this chapter examines how the summative contributions of patient selection, the type of procedure, and the associated psychological aspects of anatomy modification could increase the likelihood of a physician being faced with a dissatisfied patient and/or legal action. By understanding these basic legal principles as well as the aforementioned predisposing factors, one may be able to minimize the frequency and severity of legal claims.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    ASPRS statistic, 1997.

  2. 2.

    TDC Guidelines for SAL, 2001/ASPS Standing Guidelines.

Abbreviations

BDD:

Body dysmorphic disorder

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Doctors Company, Napa, CA, USA

    Mark Gorney

Authors
  1. Mark Gorney
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plastic Surgery, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Maria Z. Siemionow (Professor of Surgery, Director of Plastic Surgery Research, Head of Microsurgery Training) (Professor of Surgery, Director of Plastic Surgery Research, Head of Microsurgery Training)

  2. Department of Plastic and Aesthetic, Hand, and Reconstructive Surgery, Caritas-Krankenhaus St. Josef, affiliated with Regensburg University, Regensburg, Germany

    Marita Eisenmann-Klein (Director) (Director)

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© 2010 Springer-Verlag London Limited

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Gorney, M. (2010). Medical Liability in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. In: Siemionow, M.Z., Eisenmann-Klein, M. (eds) Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Springer Specialist Surgery Series. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84882-513-0_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84882-513-0_4

  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-84882-512-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-84882-513-0

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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