Lipo patient's wounds 'excessive'

• Toronto Star July 23, 2008

Tanya Talaga
Robert Cribb

Woman who died after surgery allegedly had 23 incisions, court documents show

A Toronto mother who died after liposuction surgery last year allegedly had 23 incisions made in six different body parts in one session – an "excessive" amount that could have contributed to her death, according to allegations in court documents.

The provincial coroner also raised red flags about the number of incisions and body parts, the documents show. "The patient had liposuction on both legs, buttocks, back, abdomen and chest wall. This seemed to be excessive," says a memo written by college investigator Sandra Keough quoting Dr. James Edwards at the Office of the Chief Coroner. "There was a lot of locations for fat removal and this may play into the cause of death."

The search for integrity in the cosmetic surgery market

• CMAJ - January 29, 2008

The death of a Toronto woman from complications following liposuction has prompted Ontario to undertake a wholesale review of the regulation of cosmetic and aesthetic surgery, and sparked a national debate over which physicians should be allowed to perform invasive procedures.

Following Stryland’s death, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario canvassed the more than 2400 members to determine the extent to which doctors may have expanded their practices to include cosmetic and aesthetic procedures without having obtained appropriate training. It is believed several hundred doctors, mostly family physicians, have been advertising themselves as “cosmetic surgeons,” but have not been telling patients they are not formally qualified to perform surgery.