Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery

Helping You Get Answers and Compensation for Injuries Caused by Plastic Surgery Malpractice

• Have you had a facelift, eyelid lift, or other plastic surgery only to find that you look worse instead of better?
• Did you suffer a serious injury or have unexpected, surgery-related complications because of a tummy tuck, liposuction, or other plastic surgery?
• Did a loved one die from infection, bleeding, or a medical mistake during a cosmetic procedure or because of a plastic surgeon's negligence?
• Did an unqualified doctor perform your plastic surgery?

If you were harmed by a botched plastic surgery, you deserve answers to your questions. If the injury or wrongful death was caused by an avoidable surgical mistake or medical negligence, you deserve compensation for your losses.

Protect your right to compensation. Contact us online or call us toll free at 866-586-8164 to schedule a free initial consultation. Our law firm is committed to educating you about your rights under the law.

Seeking Compensation for Injuries and Wrongful Death Since 1984

The medical malpractice attorneys of Bredell & Bredell have been standing up for injured people in Michigan since 1984. Michigan Super Lawyers has named both Lynn and John Bredell as top personal injury attorneys in the state. Contact Bredell and Bredell to discuss your medical malpractice claim, including those related to plastic surgery errors.

In evaluating and preparing plastic surgery malpractice cases, qualified medical experts are required to identify liability and prove that negligence or carelessness caused the injury or death.

In today's society, there is incredible pressure to maintain a youthful, attractive appearance. People have plastic surgery in an effort to correct signs of aging or to improve their appearance. Some undergo reconstructive surgery to repair scarring or disfigurement caused by car accidents, motorcycle accidents, work-related accidents or animal attacks.

Plastic surgery can be successful when performed by a properly trained doctor or surgeon, in an appropriate medical facility, on a patient who has been properly screened for the procedure. Even in the best of circumstances, however, doctors and other health care providers can make mistakes that harm and even kill patients.

The number of procedures performed by plastic surgeons in the United States has dramatically increased in the last two decades. The types of cosmetic surgery have expanded as well and now include: breast implants, facelifts, eyelifts, injections, butt lifts, liposuction procedures, nose jobs, stomach or tummy tucks and more.

Types of Plastic Surgery Errors and Medical Malpractice Claims

While any type of plastic surgery and any type of mistake could lead to medical malpractice, the following types of errors are often the subject of successful lawsuits:

• Breast implants: Improperly performed, breast enlargement surgery can result in hardness, chronic pain, breast implants that rupture and leak, infection, nipple problems, infection, disfigurement and other injuries or complications.
• Facelifts: Incorrect surgical technique, over-correction, and other errors during facelift surgery can result in overstretching of the skin, a lopsided face (facial asymmetry), or a face that appears to be too tight or falling on one side.
• Eyelifts: Mistakes during eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) or eyelifts can result in a number of problems, including chronic dryness, blocked tear ducts, vision problems, or a sunken, hollow appearance below the eyes. If the surgeon removes too much tissue or muscle, the patient's eyelids may not close all the way.
• Liposuction: Removing too much fat or liquid in a single surgery can lead to fluid overload or cause heart or lung complications. Other errors during a liposuction procedure can result in serious medical complications or disfigurement.
• Injections: Botox®, Restylane®, Juvederm®, and other injections are used to combat wrinkles. Inappropriate doses and too many injections can cause the patient to have a stiff, tight face, which appears expressionless. Infection, bleeding and other medical complications can also result from negligently performed injections.
• Nose reshaping: Rhinoplasty (also referred to as a nose job) can result in disfigurement if too much cartilage or tissue is removed, or if mistakes are made before, during or after surgery.

Holding Michigan Doctors Accountable for Harm Caused by Negligent Breast Enlargement Surgery

• Did you experience unexpected complications or injury following breast augmentation surgery?
• Did your silicone, saline, or silicone gel-filled implants rupture or tear, causing injury or requiring additional surgery?
• Are your breasts uneven or lopsided after negligent breast reconstruction surgery?
• Did your surgeon make mistakes during your breast enlargement surgery which has resulted in pain, excessive scarring, hardness, or lack of sensation?
• Did an unqualified doctor perform your procedure?

Injuries Caused by Surgeon Malpractice in Breast Augmentation or Enlargement Procedures

Just because there was a poor result after breast augmentation or enlargement surgery does not mean that medical malpractice has occurred. In order to prevail in a medical malpractice claim, the patient must show that the doctor or other health care professional did not act according to the proper standard of care, and that this caused harm.

Plastic surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, and the hospital can all make medical mistakes that cause injury to a patient undergoing a breast enlargement (augmentation mammaplasty) procedure. Possible injuries resulting from negligence can include:

• Infections: Failure to take infection control measures and failure to promptly diagnose and treat post-surgical infections, such as Group A strep infection, bacterial infection, Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS), gangrene and other infections can result in injury, tissue loss and even wrongful death.
• Uneven Breasts: Overfilling a saline implant, deflation of an implant, improper positioning, implant leaking or rupture can all lead to asymmetrical or lopsided breasts.
• Nipple Changes: Poor surgical technique or negligence can cause uneven nipple size or nipple disfigurement. Changes in nipple sensation or breast feeling can occur because of damage to the skin's outer layers due to improper subglandular implant placement.
• Capsular Contracture: When the breast area is too tight for the implant, the implant can appear disproportionate and the breasts can look different from each other. Capsular contracture can also cause pain in the breast, cause the breast to feel firm or very hard, or cause the breasts look like round balls.
• Symmastia or "Uniboob": This often happens when the plastic surgeon improperly dissects the tissues and muscles over your breastbone to move the breasts closer together. Symmastia is when the two breast implants end up touching each other, making it look like you have just one breast.
• Scarring or Disfigurement: A negligently performed breast augmentation can result in excessive scar tissue and cause pain, lumpiness, puckering, and other discomfort.

If you have been disfigured or suffered harm because of your plastic surgeon's negligence, you deserve compensation for your losses. Because you only have a limited amount of time to file a lawsuit for medical malpractice, you should contact Bredell and Bredell to discuss your claims related to breast augmentation and other plastic surgery. 

To learn more about recovering compensation for your injuries, contact a knowledgeable medical malpractice attorney at Bredell & Bredell for a free initial consultation. We represent injured people throughout Michigan.