Plastic surgeon: A change in the law is required to increase patient safety during aesthetic procedures

Plastic surgeon Riikka Veltheim, who has worked in Sweden for a long time, has seen major changes since the law reform that came into effect in 2021. According to the law, aesthetic treatments may only be performed by licensed personnel, and the clinics must be under authority supervision.

According to Veltheim, however, there is no reliable evidence that the number of complications has decreased in Sweden.

- Complications will always occur, but from a patient safety point of view, it is important that the clinics that do not follow the rules have disappeared from the market.

Veltheim: Finland should have acted earlier

After the death of Finnish influencer Olivia Ora, Finland's Minister of Social Affairs and Health Wille Rydman (True Finns) has promised to tighten supervision of aesthetic treatments.

According to Riikka Veltheim, people have been warning about the problems in the industry and the shortcomings in the regulation for several years. Veltheim, who has worked both in Sweden and Helsinki, says that actors in the industry have long tried to influence the legislation. Now she hopes that the necessary changes will finally be implemented.

- It is very important that the issue is taken seriously. My colleagues and I have highlighted the problems for several years, but unfortunately it is only after this case that the ministry has announced that it intends to take action.

"You don't become a plastic surgeon through a crash course"

The training to become a plastic surgeon is a multi-year specialist training for doctors that includes extensive experience in surgery, hospital work and care of patients with complex needs.

According to Riikka Veltheim, the long training provides the conditions to identify and treat possible complications and to act quickly in emergency situations, which is a central part of patient safety.

- We have worked for many years in hospital care, which provides a very strong basis for how to act also in unexpected situations, she says and adds with reference to Finland:

- Legislation needs to be in place. It is very important for patients to be guaranteed basic safety, regardless of which clinic they turn to.