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It sounds like something from a horror story – having surgery and feeling pain and discomfort, only to find out that a surgical tool, instrument, or other item has somehow been left inside of you! The sheer thought of it is totally gruesome!

So what happens if you have surgery and find out that you need a second operation to remove something that shouldn’t have been left in there in the first place? Can you make a claim for personal injury compensation?

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Abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck as most commonly known as, is one of the most routine and popular cosmetic surgery procedures around at the moment.  It is considered a rather low risk procedure when compared to other cosmetic practices; however it unfortunately still carries with it inherent risks and sometimes negligence can occur.

Surgeons must give the patient reasonable information about the risks to enable the patient to give valid consent to surgery. Therefore, if you do not feel you have been given enough information  about potential risks and side effects, you may be able to claim on this basis. Some of the most common injuries/claims in this area stem from the following:
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I know of many people, including myself, that have invested in hair extensions as some point or another because they are simply not happy with the way their hair looks. Be that because it is too thin, too short, too curly or too straight, hair extensions can give you the look that you wish you had been born with – or alternatively they can also give you the type of hair you love in the magazines. However, although in the majority of cases the result can look fantastic, many people can end up suffering because of bad hair extensions.

There are two main ways that hair extensions can be fitted:

Bonded – this is where the “fake” hair is bonded onto the “real” hair with a sort of clasp (usually black).
Glue – this is where the “fake” hair is literally glued onto the “real” hair.

Both of these procedures can put immense strain on the natural hair bond as the root has to hold an amount of hair that it is not used too. Therefore hair loss can be quite a common occurrence but hair loss can also be a result of negligent fitting. Anyone who is putting hair extensions in should be properly trained to do so as there are certain things that can mean hair loss is extreme and also aggravation of the scalp.
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Excessive hair can of course cause distress, especially if it is in such a noticeable place as your face or neck. This is probably why the trend for undergoing hair removal treatments, such as laser hair removal or waxing at local clinics or salons and the sale of hair removal products such as creams and wax strips have become increasingly popular. However, all of these treatments can cause some injury as many of them either destroy the hair follicle (prominently laser removal) or dissolve the hair root to get that long lasting effect; therefore this means that if something goes wrong or something is faulty, the injury could be worse than what was intended.

Treatments at clinics/salons

If you have chosen to undergo hair removal at one of these it is likely that you will have a consultation to assess your need and decide on the best course of action. It is incredibly important to listen carefully and ask any questions as making a claim for cosmetic procedures can be difficult as there are always inherent risks. It is unlikely that you can claim for an inherent risk as for compensation you need to prove some form of negligence.
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Weight loss surgery has undoubtedly become increasingly popular in the recent years as many people either give up on the diet and exercise or simply feel that these options have not done anything for them in previous attempts to lose wight. However, although often advertised by celebrities who basically brag about how good they now feel and how nice they look in a bikini, the surgery is not one that should be undertaken lightly. At the end of the day, it is incredibly invasive and can result in serious injuries, including death, if there is some form of negligence.

Now of course, the majority of these surgeries happen without a glitch; but if something goes wrong due to the negligence of a medical practitioner, what happens then?
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Before I discuss this matter further it is important to make the important distinction between “plastic surgery” and “cosmetic surgery“; the former is when you are returning something to normal whereas “cosmetic surgery” is improving upon the norm.

So for example; if you had suffered horrific burns and you were looking for a skin graft this would be classed as “plastic surgery” whereas if you wanted to improve on the appearance of your face by way of a facelift, this would be classed as “cosmetic surgery”.

This blog will focus (as the title suggests) on plastic surgery however, there is plenty of advice on cosmetic surgery in our other blogs and therefore if you are concerned about cosmetic surgery negligence I will re-direct you now by clicking this link. Other categories of surgery also include reconstructive surgery, restorative surgery and aesthetic surgery.
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In a modern society, cosmetic surgery is on the rise. In addition surgeons can find cosmetic surgery a very lucrative industry to be involved in. We are perhaps more concerned about our physical appearance than ever before, meaning that people are willing to undergo cosmetic surgery and procedures in an attempt to get the look that they desire.

Surgeons are willing to perform the work as it can prove very profitable. However cosmetic surgery is still an area which is of real concern to health care professionals. This is because it is largely unregulated and unfortunately we do see cosmetic procedures being performed by persons whom are not suitably qualified and products are often used which have not been properly checked or approved.

You can always get a cheap procedure or a cheap product but if you don’t go down the correct route then there is a real risk that something could go drastically wrong. Such instances have led to a rise in compensation claims following negligent cosmetic surgery or procedures. We have seen many claims following PIP breast implants, botox, liposuction, nose jobs etc.
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Although this procedure does sound like something that only the rich and famous can have in Hollywood, it is becoming more increasingly popular with everyone who has always craved for a derriere like Kim Kardashian or Beyonce.

Unfortunately however, as with many other popular cosmetic surgeries there are things that can go wrong – not only inherent risks that you would usually associate with surgery but unfortunate things caused by other people’s negligence. Therefore, it is important to understand what you can do if you find yourself suffering at the hands of someone else’s negligence.

Some of the main injuries caused by this procedure include:
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I’m no medical expert, but I’m well aware that eyes are pretty delicate. Given the advances of modern day technology, surgeons have developed ways of using lasers to correct common eye problems that reduce the need to wear glasses. Laser eye surgery is a readily available and common procedure nowadays. But what happens when things go wrong? I mean, we’re talking about your eyes here.

So what are the common associated risks with eye surgery? Let’s start with looking at common laser eye surgery.

Laser Eye Surgery

When it comes to laser eye surgery, the NHS says that complications occur in less than 5% of patients. Two seemingly inherent risks are as follows:

• Dry eyes in the months following surgery – which may require an artificial tear supplement (apparently there is such a thing!)
• Glare or halo effects at night – particularly when driving.

But moving on now to the worst of the worst – what if treatment causes a loss of vision, whether partial or total? The NHS does say that too much thinning of the eye wall can lead to the shape of the eye being unstable. So there are significant risks that your vision could be affected.
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With many “high street” beauty boutiques now offering this treatment many people have unfortunately been the victims of negligence and have consequently suffered injury that they did not envisage.

There are three main procedures that are performed when it comes to skin resurfacing/rejuvenation, these are:

• Chemical Peels
• Dermabrasion
• Laser resurfacing

All of these carry with them inherent risks which can make making a claim quite difficult as there has to be some type of negligence to proceed with a claim for compensation.  The three main things that are required are that the person should owe you a duty of care (which is implied between a medical practitioner and a patient), they must breach this duty of care, and they must have caused injury as a result of the breach. So what types of injury are caused?
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