Think Twice Before You Plan Plastic Surgery At a Strip Mall

On May 21, 2010, Amanda Lawson entered the Southeast Laser & Plastic surgery clinic in Waycross, Georgia to receive breast augmentation surgery. The shopping center clinic advertised its cosmetic procedures in the local paper and even offered a discount coupon. Lawson paid $3,500 and underwent the four hour procedure.

A month later, she returned to the clinic because her incisions were open, exposing the silicone gel implants. She was prescribed oral antibiotics, pain killers and sent home. A few weeks later her condition had not improved. Lawson went to Irwin County Hospital and was diagnosed with methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus — MRSA. She spent a week in the hospital to treat her still open wounds and the infection. The next month she was again hospitalized for a staph infection and received intravenous antibiotics. At this time, she underwent surgery to remove both implants. Lawson was permanently disfigured as a result of the ordeal.

According to the lawsuit she filed against the practice and doctor that performed the botched surgery, Lawson did not receive a complete pre-operative exam nor was she even measured for the implants. Her first meeting with the surgeon was the day of the surgery and his assistant was the owner of the clinic who was not a licensed medical professional. She was given only local anesthesia, a tranquilizer and a pain killer.

After a two day trial, a Ware county jury awarded Lawson $1 million. This is a case where a patient was simply taken advantage of. Such clinics are not regulated as hospitals and surgery centers are — buyer beware.

Please visit mcaleerlaw.com to learn about how to protect your legal rights in the face of substandard medical care.