Ministry issues order barring invasive plastic surgery for minors
2013/09/11 22:42:00
Taipei, Sept. 11 (CNA) Taiwan's health authorities issued a directive Wednesday instructing health care facilities not to perform invasive plastic surgery, such as breast implants, fat removal and nose jobs, on people aged under 18.
"The new measure is designed to protect the adolescents' physical and mental health," said Lee Wei-chiang, head of the Department of Medical Affairs under the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
The administrative order reflected a consensus among members of the ministry's cosmetic surgery advisory committee, which suggested making age a consideration in managing Taiwan's cosmetic surgery sector, Lee said.
Within this week, all hospitals and medical clinics around the country will be informed of the directive. Physicians who violate it will be subject to a fine of up to NT$200,000 based on the Physicians Act, according to Lee.
Also, health inspectors have been assigned to reinforce checks on medical care institutions to watch for irregularities, the official said.
The experts on the cosmetic surgery advisory committee decided on not allowing invasive plastic surgery, including suction-assisted fat removal, breast implants, nose jobs and double eyelid surgery, for minors because their bodies have not yet fully grown.
Invasive plastic surgery will be allowed on underaged patients, however, if there is a legitimate medical reason, such as removing body odor or scars.
In such cases, the teenagers will need the consent of their legal guardians to have the operations done, and the guardians must be present at the clinic when the operation is performed.
The ministry has divided cosmetic surgery into three main categories: phototherapy; injections; and invasive treatment.
The first two categories, involving treatments using lasers and hyaluronic acid injections, are considered non-invasive procedures and can be performed on patients under 18.
According to ministry statistics, there have been at least 800 patients under 20 receiving cosmetic surgery procedures a year in Taiwan, with 95 percent of them non-invasive.
(By Chen Ching-fang and Elizabeth Hsu)
