By Lisa S. Cummings
Have you or any one that you know suffer from burns, scars or other injuries during laser surgery or treatments? If yes, then you should know that you are not the only one dealing with this issue. A new study shows that more patients are filing lawsuits against non-physicians performing laser surgery.
According to an article in news-medical.net, the first comprehensive study of laser surgery liability claims was published in JAMA Dermatology on Wednesday. Researchers stated that only doctors can perform laser hair removal surgery in Maine, but in June 2011, it is says that there were no restrictions on who could operate a laser in Nevada. This study shows that the increased claim filings involved non-doctors, such as nurses, medical assistants, technician or “interns.” Performing laser surgery outside traditional medical settings is putting patients’ health at risk. This type of surgery is found to be available in spas which are non-medical facilities offering aesthetic and cosmetic procedures.
Dr. H. Ray and his colleagues, who led the studies at the University of California in Los Angeles, found that the percent of all legal cases involved someone other than a doctor operating the laser went up 42 percent from 2008 to 2011. There are possibly many other incidents or claims that are being settled or either not going to litigation. As a litigation firm, our medical malpractice team can assist patients who have been harmed by similar medical malpractices and want to file liability claims.
