Perioperative considerations for patient safety during cosmetic surgery – preventing complications

A s the demand for cosmetic procedures increases, plastic surgeons are charged to maintain the highest standards for patient safety. In the past years, the issue of patient safety in health care has become a major concern of the public. The Institute of Medicine's landmark article, To Err is Human, shares the staggering statistic that between 44,000 and 98,000 Americans die each year due to medical error (1). In this report, the authors highlight patient safety as a key area in need of improvement in hospitals today. Patient safety in the operating room is a major concern for physicians, hospitals and surgical facilities alike. Physicians have an obvious investment in the safety of their patients, and surgeons are ultimately responsible for all activity that occurs during a surgical procedure.