A cosmetic surgeon has backed a private Sydney hospital’s decision to ban doctors from an alleged widespread practice of using social media to document surgery.
Dr Laith Barnouti is a cosmetic plastic surgeon who works with Westmead Private Hospital and has voiced his support for their move to stop the “unhygienic”, “unethical” and “unnecessarily risky” practice in its operating theatres.
He told Mamamia the growing trend, which sees “many surgeons” share videos and photos live from the operating table for promotional purposes, was concerning for several reasons.
“If a surgeon is using Snapchat during surgery, it means they are downing tools, halting their work to pick up a phone and take images in the operating theatre, while a patient is lying on the table. This is not only unethical but interfering with the progress of the surgery.”
Dr Barnouti said the practice could seriously compromise the outcome of the surgery.
“It is a distraction for the surgeon. Surgeons should be focusing on the health and welfare of their patient, not thinking about sending Snapchat messages in the middle of a complex operation.”
Top Comments
I think snap chat is a wonderful tool to educate potential plastic surgery clients. It's also makes the surgeon accountable for their work whilst making the industry transparent in what they actually do. It shows that surgery is not glamorous and gives the public a lot of insight into the plastic surgery industry. I love it.
How is this not a breach in patient confidentiality?