The body governing Ontario's medical profession has approved several recommendations to tighten the regulations governing high-risk cosmetic surgery and procedures.
Assessing doctors (especially those not qualified in performing cosmetic surgery) and providing the public with more information on the risks were among the recommendations passed by the Council of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario on Monday.
The body said the move addresses concerns about the growing number of physicians in Ontario performing high-risk cosmetic procedures, especially those who are not licensed as plastic surgeons.
The recommendations come less than two months after a 37-year-old Toronto mother and real estate agent died after undergoing liposuction at a clinic.
While plastic surgeons are required to adhere to strict regulations and undergo licensing, little can be done to stop family doctors or general practitioners from calling themselves "cosmetic surgeons" and performing similar procedures under far less stringent guidelines.
Plastic surgeons require five years of specialized training to become licensed in the province, but any type of doctor can perform surgery.
At Monday's meeting, the college said it surveyed 548 doctors across the province who perform plastic surgery but are not considered to be plastic surgeons.
Officials said 16 of those doctors will be investigated further, however, their names were not made public.
"The college has the powers to investigate and then to proceed on with additional procedures that are required, which might extend to the point of suspension of practice and discipline," college president Dr. Jeffrey Turnbull told reporters.
"We're not going to release those names until we can do due diligence and insure that those people are properly trained, but I can reassure you we that will be assessing them very, very promptly."
Twenty other physicians were served with a notice of suspension because they didn't respond to the mandatory survey. Those doctors have 60 days to respond or their licence will be suspended.
With a report from CTV's Galit Solomon
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