Hospitalized due to cosmetic surgery complications.

The demand for beauty treatments surges towards the end of the year. However, this is also the time when hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City receive many cases of complications due to hasty beauty procedures.

Many serious complications occurred.

At tertiary hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City such as Cho Ray Hospital, People's Hospital 115, Trung Vuong Hospital, and Dermatology Hospital, many cases of complications from cosmetic surgery have recently been treated. Among them, People's Hospital 115 is actively treating a woman transferred from a cosmetic surgery clinic in District 10 in a semi-conscious state with severe respiratory failure.

Doctors at Cho Ray Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, examine a patient who suffered complications after receiving filler injections.

Previously, Cho Ray Hospital had received three cases of serious cosmetic surgery complications, including: a woman in a deep coma after undergoing breast augmentation, jaw reshaping, cheekbone reduction, and wisdom tooth extraction at a general hospital in Ho Chi Minh City; a young woman from Dong Nai province who went blind after receiving filler injections at an unlicensed beauty salon; and a Vietnamese woman living abroad who suffered complications after receiving fat-dissolving injections at a spa in District 7.

Statistics from the Ho Chi Minh City Dermatology Hospital show that the number of cases of cosmetic surgery complications examined and treated at this unit has increased over the years: In 2023, there were 608 cases, an increase of 70 cases compared to 2022, an increase of 391 cases compared to 2021, and an increase of 200 cases compared to 2020.

Dr. Nguyen Thi Phan Thuy, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Dermatology Hospital, expressed concern that 77.8% of those causing complications in cosmetic and medical procedures are not doctors; 15.3% of patients cannot identify whether the person is a doctor or not; and only 6.9% of complications are caused by doctors. The causes of complications may include faulty or damaged equipment due to lack of inspection; uncertified products; mixing of various products without ensuring sterile conditions; and unlicensed cosmetic facilities.

According to Associate Professor, Doctor Do Quang Hung, Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Association of Aesthetic Surgery, the majority of cosmetic surgery complications occur at unlicensed facilities, such as hair salons, nail salons, and skin care centers, which still perform invasive procedures and techniques. This easily leads to complications such as infection, necrosis, and damage to body parts like perforated noses and blindness.

Many challenges in management

According to statistics from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, there are currently 7,087 establishments providing services related to aesthetics in the city. Of these, only 598 establishments are licensed by the Ministry of Health and the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health (accounting for approximately 15%), while the remaining 85% are licensed by the People's Committees of districts, counties, and Thu Duc City. Thus, 6,489 establishments operate without requiring assessment and licensing from specialized health authorities. These include 2,175 spa and skincare establishments; 516 establishments offering tattooing, permanent makeup, and embroidery services; and 3,798 establishments providing hair cutting, shampooing, and nail services.

Doctors at the Ho Chi Minh City Dermatology Hospital examine patients.

Associate Professor, Doctor Tang Chi Thuong, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health , highlighted three major challenges in managing cosmetic procedures in the city: firstly, advertising outside the scope of permitted activities and illegal advertising on social media, easily leading people to misunderstand and use cosmetic services that have not been assessed for safety; secondly, post-inspection activities of cosmetic service providers have not received adequate attention and focus. Furthermore, illegal rhinoplasty procedures are becoming increasingly sophisticated, with perpetrators employing various tactics to evade regulatory authorities.

"Illegal cosmetic procedures in Ho Chi Minh City are not a new issue, but they have become a challenging phenomenon for authorities. These illegal procedures are increasingly being moved into hotels and guesthouses, making inspection and monitoring more difficult," said the Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health.

This reality necessitates more decisive solutions, closer coordination, and synchronization among state management agencies in the management of cosmetic facilities. In particular, inspections, checks, and handling of unlicensed facilities and those that do not meet safety and quality standards for cosmetic surgery must be conducted regularly and continuously.

In addition, the People's Committees of districts and Thu Duc City need to build a network of people's security in the health sector to receive support from the community and promptly detect suspicious signs of illegal cosmetic procedures in hotels and guesthouses. Local authorities should also encourage residents and workers in hotels and guesthouses to proactively provide information and report suspicious activities to the authorities.

According to Dr. Ho Van Han, Chief Inspector of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, to use beauty services safely, people should choose licensed establishments and check information about the list of techniques on the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health's electronic information portal. Do not support unlicensed establishments or practitioners who do not comply with legal regulations, who operate under false pretenses, profit illegally, or commit fraud (for example, agreeing to perform cosmetic procedures in hotels or apartments); do not choose beauty establishments based solely on their names on the signboard such as "beauty salon," "beauty institute," etc. If you discover or suspect an illegal beauty establishment or one showing signs of violation, you can provide information via the hotline: 0989401155 or through the Online Health application.

MINH NAM

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/nhap-vien-vi-tai-bien-tham-my-post723519.html