California Hard On Phony Docs

California is famous globally for one of the most popular locations for plastic surgery, but that also lends itself to a higher proportion of fake doctors trying to scam patients into paying less for what they believe to be the same procedures. The California Medical Board is looking closely into whether scams are more prevalent here. According to a recent article they will be stepping up their investigations into questionable surgeons. This year, the boards branch which is responsible for investigating medical professionals called Operation Safe Medicine found that 61 cases required attention from prosecutors calling into question patient’s safety.  One case in San Francisco had reported that liposuction was performed by a phony medical person while smoking a cigar. The phony doctor, Carlos Guzmangarza, and no assistant during the procedure and reportedly had the patient hold her own IV bag. It is also alleged that the identity of a medical doctor was stolen in order for this phony doctor to perform procedures. “The Board believes that the OSM Unit is imperative in order to protect the public from the actions of unlicensed practitioners, reads a statement from Jennifer Simoes, the medical boards chief of legislation, according to the news source. While it may seem difficult for patients to know if a doctor is legitimate, Dr. Kim reminds patients that it is easy to investigate whether a medical doctor is in good standing with the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. A simple look, on the website www.plasticsurgery.org  will let the patient know the status of their prospective plastic surgeon. Procedures like breast augmentation or liposuction are easily mistaken as popular procedures that are easy to perform. The reality is the safety and results of the procedure are highly dependent upon the expertise and skill of the plastic surgeon. Dr. Kim cautions patients about financial incentives advertised publicly or underground that seem too good to be true. More often than not these procedures are likely to be performed by an inexperienced unlicensed operator. Patients who are considering plastic surgery are encouraged to contact Dr. Kims office and schedule a consultation.