An association representing plastic surgeons has raised concerns over GPs performing cosmetic procedures such as the Brazilian butt lift (BBL) and liposuction, arguing that only specialists may do this work.
The Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons of South Africa (Aprassa) responded to a recent Sunday Times article that highlighted how increasing numbers of black women in South Africa were getting BBLs.
Dr Pertunia Mathibe, a GP and the founder of the Centre for Body Sculpting in Pretoria, which is popular for BBLs and liposuction, was interviewed about her practice.
However, in response, Aprassa alleged that Mathibe, popularly known as Dr Pert, was not authorised to do BBLs, and that she was in breach of rule 21 of the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), which stipulates who is allowed to conduct cosmetic procedures.
“She is a GP and as such is not allowed to perform cosmetic surgery operations such as liposuction and [the] Brazilian butt lift,” said Aprassa president Dr Craig Wittstock.
Wittstock said injecting fat into the buttocks, which is how a BBL is done, could be a dangerous and even fatal procedure.
“It is widely regarded as the procedure with the highest mortality rate among cosmetic surgeries,” he said.
However, HPCSA spokesperson Priscilla Sekhonyana said all practitioners who had received appropriate training were allowed to perform BBLs and liposuction.
“Cosmetic medicine, or nonsurgical cosmetic procedures, may be performed by any practitioner registered with the HPCSA, including general practitioners and dentists, provided that, if they perform cosmetic medicine procedures which result in permanent anatomical and/or physiological changes, they [are] appropriately educated, trained and experienced,” Sekhonyana said.
Sekhonyana said cosmetic surgery, as is the case with any other form of surgery, was ordinarily performed by specialists in plastic and reconstructive surgery, “but may also be performed by other qualified practitioners or specialists [who] have [received] formal, structured training”.
She said these practitioners needed “assessment and ongoing professional development in certain aspects of cosmetic surgery relevant to those particular specialities”.
Cosmetic medicine may be performed by any practitioner registered with the HPCSA … provided that … they [are] appropriately educated, trained and experienced
— HPCSA spokesperson Priscilla Sekhonyana
Wittstock said: “There should be no confusion as to whether GPs can perform cosmetic surgery. The response you got from the HPCSA is rather nonspecific.”
Wittstock said specialists typically underwent a minimum of a further six years of training, and this “regulated and structured training cannot be replaced by various ‘short courses’”.
He said anyone who had surgery done would have some complications, as this was the nature of surgery.
“However, these complications should be kept to a minimum and, when they arise, be treated by someone who is adequately trained to do this,” he said.
Mathibe told the Sunday Times she did not perform procedures such as tummy tucks, but only BBL and liposuction, for which she had been trained. She had done courses held by the American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine Southern Africa.
“I wrote for a diploma, which is divided into three levels. I did level 1, which was a certificate, and level 2, which was a diploma, which I got,” Mathibe said.
In 2017, she opened an aesthetic centre in Pretoria, where she did intravenous vitamin and facial treatments, and these piqued her interest in body sculpting.
Mathibe said there were dozens of other GPs across the country who had done similar training in BBL and liposuction, and were performing these procedures.
“I did thorough research in body sculpting. I found out that you can actually perform liposuction as a GP,” she said.
She then applied for a course in fat transfer and liposuction held in Dubai, which involved theoretical and practical training.
“That course was not only attended by GPs, there were also dermatologists and plastic surgeons there. After that, I was confident enough to start doing body sculpting,” she said.
She felt unfairly attacked by Aprassa.
“I am not a plastic surgeon, but a GP. However, as for not being allowed to do what I am doing, there’s nothing like that. As long as you are well-trained in cosmetic medicine and you have experience, you can do that — and that’s exactly what I am doing.”
