Medico-Legal Memories: Experiences of Dr. Richard C. Shiell in Cosmetic Surgery

The document recounts the experiences of Dr. Richard C. Shiell, a cosmetic surgeon with over 32 years of experience, particularly focusing on the medico-legal aspects of cosmetic surgery. Dr. Shiell discusses two case reports where patients sued their surgeons over hair restoration procedures, with one case resulting in an out-of-court settlement due to clear evidence against the surgeon, and the other case being lost by the plaintiff both at trial and on appeal. The discussion highlights that most dissatisfaction arises from a breakdown in communication between doctor and patient, rather than poor surgical management. Dr. Shiell notes that out of 23,000 hair transplant operations and 2,000 reduction surgeries on approximately 9,000 patients, he faced only one threat of litigation, which was withdrawn. He offers recommendations to avoid legal issues, such as obtaining proper training, managing patient expectations, keeping thorough records, maintaining good doctor-patient relationships, staying informed about current techniques, and handling potential litigation professionally. Dr. Shiell also comments on the challenges posed by modern informed consent laws and the duty of surgeons to refer cases to more experienced colleagues when necessary.