The case of a Toronto woman who died after having liposuction is raising concerns about doctors who are performing cosmetic surgery procedures despite not being licensed as plastic surgeons.
Thirty-seven-year-old Krista Stryland, a successful Toronto real estate agent and mother, underwent a liposuction operation at the Toronto Cosmetic Clinic located on Yonge Street in North York last Thursday.
Sources told CTV Toronto that the woman’s heart stopped following the operation to remove fat from her abdominal area
She was taken to North York General Hospital and died despite attempts to revive her.
Dr. Jim Edwards, a Toronto-area coroner, told CTV News the coroner’s office has launched an investigation into Stryland’s death.
“We’re investigating this death because it was considered to be sudden and unexpected,” Edwards said on Saturday.
There are reports that the family doctor who performed the operation had training in cosmetic surgery but was not a licensed plastic surgeon, said CTV Toronto.
“One of the things we will be looking at is the qualifications of the physician who did the surgery,” Edwards told CTV News.
Neither Stryland’s doctor, nor a representative from the clinic was available for comment.
The situation highlights what many plastic surgeons claim is a major problem in Canada’s medical system.
While plastic surgeons are required to adhere to strict regulations and undergo licensing, little can be done to stop family doctors or general practitioners from deeming themselves ‘cosmetic surgeons’ and performing similar procedures under far less stringent guidelines.
Plastic surgeon Frank Lista said plastic surgeons require five years of specialized training to become licensed in the province, but any type of doctor can perform surgery.
“In Ontario any doctor can do any operation on anybody anywhere, Lista said.
“So you could have a GP (general practitioner) taking out a brain tumor on a kitchen table and there is no one who checks that, who makes sure that that kind of thing doesn’t happen.”
North York General Hospital spokeswoman Alison Steeves would not comment on the situation citing privacy regulations.
In 1990, 44-year-old Toni Sullivan died from a massive blood clot two days after undergoing liposuction at a Toronto clinic.
A subsequent inquest into her death recommended The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario define and regulate the difference between plastic and cosmetic surgery.
With a report from CTV’s Austin Delaney