Cosmetic Surgery in China: Is Growing Demand Causing Surgical Errors?

Before 1980 plastic surgery was completely banned throughout all of communist China, but with a booming economy propelling it forward cosmetic surgery is becoming increasingly popular among its estimated 1.3-billion person population. In Fact, China's cosmetic surgery industry is estimated at $2.5 billion a year. The number 9 People's Hospital in Shanghai completed over 25k plastic surgery procedures in 2003, which is a 25% increase from the previous year.

It's difficult not to notice the link between a relatively new growing capitalism economy and the increasing demand for luxury purchases such as cosmetic surgery. The demand is not surprising, however the types of cosmetic surgeries more commonly performed in China are quite different then those most commonly performed in western society. In China the most popular procedures are not breast enhancement, liposuction, or tummy tuck; in fact the only procedure that may be commonplace between China and the west is rhinoplasty, in which the Chinese usually opt for nose enlargement. The most popular cosmetic procedure in China is called "double eyelids", a procedure where naturally smooth Asian eyelids are creased to appear more European. The procedure requires that a thin layer of fat is removed from the eyelid, and then a crease is stitched in. Some Chinese believe foreigners perceive them as having flat faces and small eyes, so they see western features as being more attractive.

With the popularity and demand for plastic surgery in China rising, the number of surgical errors is closely following. The Chinese do not have well-established regulation and enforcement, so even gross surgical errors often do not result in legal consequences for unscrupulous doctors. Last year China was shocked by the sudden death of singer Wang Bei, who died during a cosmetic surgical procedure to grind back her jaw (another technique to give a more European look to the face).

It is also believed that several hundred thousand women were injected in the face and breasts with a toxic substance known as Aomeiding. Pictures online show women with a greenish substance leaking from their skin, and individuals report continued pain and discomfort in the affected areas. No legal charges are known to have been issued to medical professionals at this time.

Wherever there is a demand for a product or service anywhere in the world there is an opportunity for business, unfortunately that means there is also an opportunity for people to take advantage of the situation in an unscrupulous manner. In a situation like China's, there is an even higher risk because the financial opportunity is so high, and the risks relatively low. Without better regulation and more active enforcement, the Chinese people may continue to be the victims of doctors willing to risk patient health for short-term profits. Right now the plastic surgery industry in China is trending towards a marketing and sales model instead of adopting overall health and well-being philosophies more intoned with patients real needs.