A Five-Year Survey for Plastic Surgery Malpractice Claims in Rome, Italy
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
3. Results
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
- Ferrara, S.D.; Boscolo-Berto, R.; Viel, G. Malpractice and Medical Liability. In European State of Art and Guidelines; Springer: Berlin/Heidelberg, Germany, 2013. [Google Scholar]
- Bolcato, M.; Fassina, G.; Sanavio, M.; Aprile, A. The new Italian law 219/2017: An extraordinary clinical tool in internal medicine. Ital. J. Med. 2020, 14, 184–188. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Feola, A.; Marino, V.; Marsella, L.T. Medical Liability: The Current State of Italian Legislation. Eur. J. Health Law 2015, 22, 347–358. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Tarantino, U.; Giai Via, A.; Macrì, E.; Eramo, A.; Marino, V.; Marsella, L.T. Professional liability in orthopaedics and traumatology in Italy. Clin. Orthop. Relat. Res. 2013, 471, 3349–3357. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
- Manca, R.; Bruti, V.; Napoletano, S.; Marinelli, E. A 15 years survey for dental malpractice claims in Rome, Italy. J. Forensic. Leg. Med. 2018, 58, 74–77. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Casali, M.B.; Blandino, A.; Del Sordo, S.; Vignali, G.; Novello, S.; Travaini, G.; Berlusconi, M.; Genovese, U. Alleged malpractice in orthopaedics. Analysis of a series of medmal insurance claims. J. Orthop. Traumatol. 2018, 19, 7. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Genovese, U.; Blandino, A.; Midolo, R.; Casali, M.B. Alleged malpractice in anesthesiology: Analysis of a series of private insurance claims. Minerva Anestesiol. 2016, 82, 202–209. [Google Scholar] [PubMed]
- Mavroforou, A.; Giannoukas, A.; Michalodimitrakis, E. Medical litigation in cosmetic plastic surgery. Med. Law 2004, 23, 479–488. [Google Scholar] [PubMed]
- Kwon, J.W.; Park, B.Y.; Kang, S.R.; Hong, S.E. Analysis of the Legal Effect of Settlement Agreements Prepared in Medical Litigation Following Plastic Surgery in Korea. Arch. Plast. Surg. 2017, 44, 283–292. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Therattil, P.J.; Chung, S.; Sood, A.; Granick, M.S.; Lee, E.S. An Analysis of Malpractice Litigation and Expert Witnesses in Plastic Surgery. Eplasty 2017, 17, e30. [Google Scholar]
- Svider, P.F.; Keeley, B.R.; Zumba, O.; Mauro, A.C.; Setzen, M.; Eloy, J.A. From the operating room to the courtroom: A comprehensive characterization of litigation related to facial plastic surgery procedures. Laryngoscope 2013, 123, 1849–1853. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
- Ministero della Giustizia. Procedimenti per Cognizione Ordinaria Presso i Tribunali per Distretto e Anno—Anni 2009–2012. Available online: https://www.giustizia.it/giustizia/it/mg_1_14_1.page?facetNode_1=0_10&facetNode_2=0_10_37&facetNode_3=0_10_38&facetNode_4=4_54&contentId=SST994036&previsiousPage=mg_1_14 (accessed on 16 May 2021).
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Cosmetic Procedures. Available online: https://www.plasticsurgery.org/cosmetic-procedures (accessed on 19 December 2020).
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Reconstructive Procedures. Available online: https://www.plasticsurgery.org/reconstructive-procedures (accessed on 19 December 2020).
- Bolcato, M.; Rodriguez, D.; Aprile, A. Risk Management in the New Frontier of Professional Liability for Nosocomial Infection: Review of the Literature on Mycobacterium Chimaera. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 7328. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Ministero della Giustizia. Procedimenti per Cognizione Ordinaria Presso le corti D’appello per Distretto e Anno—Anni 2009–2012. Available online: https://www.giustizia.it/giustizia/it/mg_1_14_1.page?facetNode_1=0_10&facetNode_2=0_10_37&facetNode_3=0_10_39&contentId=SST994033&previsiousPage=mg_1_14 (accessed on 16 May 2021).
- Vila-Nova da Silva, D.B.; Nahas, F.X.; Ferreira, L.M. Factors influencing judicial decisions on medical disputes in plastic surgery. Aesthet. Surg. J. 2015, 35, 477–483. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
- Marchetti, D.; Sgarbi, I.; Feola, A.; Marsella, L.T.; Caricato, M.; La Monaca, G. The breach of the informed consent and its compensation in the jurisprudence of the civil court of Rome (years 2012–2016) [Il risarcimento della violazione del consenso informato nella giurisprudenza del Tribunale Civile di Roma (anni 2012–2016)]. Riv. It. Med. Leg. 2019, 35, 601–619. [Google Scholar]
- Nathan, B.; Nash, Z.; Nathan, M.; Mascarenhas, L. Analysis of formal complaints in 1,645 liposuction operations. Plast Surg. Nurs. 2014, 34, 59–61. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Boyll, P.; Kang, P.; Mahabir, R.; Bernard, R.W. Variables That Impact Medical Malpractice Claims Involving Plastic Surgeons in the United States. Aesthet. Surg. J. 2018, 38, 785–792. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Bismark, M.M.; Gogos, A.J.; McCombe, D.; Clark, R.B.; Gruen, R.L.; Studdert, D.M. Legal disputes over informed consent for cosmetic procedures: A descriptive study of negligence claims and complaints in Australia. J. Plast. Reconstr. Aesthet. Surg. 2012, 65, 1506–1512. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- da Silva, D.B.; Nahas, F.X.; Bussolaro, R.A.; de Brito, M.J.; Ferreira, L.M. The increasing growth of plastic surgery lawsuits in Brazil. Aesthetic. Plast. Surg. 2010, 34, 541–542. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
Verdicts | Convictions | % | |
---|---|---|---|
2012 | 33 | 22 | 66.67% |
2013 | 23 | 16 | 69.56% |
2014 | 25 | 14 | 56.00% |
2015 | 31 | 25 | 80.65% |
2016 | 32 | 24 | 75.00% |
Total | 144 | 101 | 70.14% |
Verdicts | Convictions | |
---|---|---|
Single public health institution | 16 (11.10%) | 10 (62.50%) |
Single private health institution | 65 (45.14%) | 36 (55.37%) |
Two or more public health institutions | 0 (0.00%) | 0 (0.00%) |
Two or more health institutions (public and private) | 9 (6.25%) | 6 * (66.67%) |
Two or more private health institutions | 7 (4.85%) | 5 (71.43%) |
Total institutions sued | 97 (67.35%) | 57 (58.75%) |
Institutions not sued | 47 (32.64%) | 37 (78.71%) |
Total verdicts | 144 | 94 ** |
Verdicts | Convictions | |
Single professional | 105 (72.92%) | 74 (70.48%) |
Two or more professionals | 26 (18.05%) | 18 (69.22%) |
Total professionals sued | 131 (90.96%) | 92 (70.23%) |
Professionals not sued | 13 (9.03%) | 8 (61.54%) |
Total verdicts | 144 | 100 * |
Total | Mean | Minimum | Maximum | Total Amount for Non-Fatal Claims | Average Amount for All Areas | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | 874,303.43 | 39,741.07 | 1555.96 | 383,900.00 | 490,403.43 | 209,223.36 |
2013 | 432,016.27 | 27,001.02 | 2962.93 | 156,203.89 | 432,016.27 | 209,630.60 |
2014 | 348,448.82 | 24,889.20 | 2079.89 | 49,798.33 | 348,448.82 | 173,726.23 |
2015 | 2,290,715.81 | 91,628.63 | 1891.08 | 1,425,155.00 | 663,105.67 | 177,609.96 |
2016 | 782,094.67 | 32,587.28 | 3597.36 | 192,415.60 | 782,094.67 | 177,660.61 |
Category of Treatment | Procedure | Verdicts (Convictions) |
---|---|---|
Breast | Augmentation | 35 (22) |
Implant revision | 5 (5) | |
Lift | 11 (8) | |
Reduction | 10 (9) | |
Total | 61 (44) | |
Fat reduction | Liposuction | 11 (9) |
Nonsurgical fat reduction | 1 (1) | |
Total | 12 (10) | |
Body Lifts | Arm lift | 1 (1) |
Buttock Enhancement | 2 (0) | |
Thigh Lift | 2 (2) | |
Tummy Tuck | 10 (7) | |
Total | 15 (10) | |
Face & Neck | Brow Lift | 3 (3) |
Buccal fat removal | 1 (1) | |
Chin surgery | 2 (1) | |
Otoplasty | 2 (1) | |
Eyelid Surgery | 5 (5) | |
Facelift Surgery | 2 (1) | |
Facial Implants | 3 (3) | |
Neck Lift | 4 (4) | |
Rhinoplasty | 9 (8) | |
Total | 31 (27) | |
Minimally invasive | Botulinum Toxin | 1 (1) |
Dermal Fillers | 14 (10) | |
Laser Hair Removal | 2 (2) | |
Laser Skin Resurfacing | 1 (1) | |
Skin Rejuvenation and Resurfacing | 1 (1) | |
Tattoo Removal | 1 (1) | |
Spider Vein Treatment | 1 (1) | |
Total | 21 (17) | |
Male-specific plastic surgery | Hair Transplant | 1 (1) |
Men and Plastic Surgery | 1 (0) | |
Total | 2 (1) | |
Overall Total | 142 (109) |
Procedure | Verdicts (Convictions) |
---|---|
Breast Reconstruction | 7 (4) |
Breast Reduction | 1 (0) |
Congenital Anomalies | 2 (2) |
Gender Confirmation Surgeries | 1 (0) |
Hand Surgery | 1 (0) |
Septoplasty | 8 (5) |
Skin Cancer Removal | 6 (2) |
Total | 26 (13) |
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. |
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Share and Cite
Feola, A.; Minotti, C.; Marchetti, D.; Caricato, M.; Capolupo, G.T.; Marsella, L.T.; La Monaca, G. A Five-Year Survey for Plastic Surgery Malpractice Claims in Rome, Italy. Medicina 2021, 57, 571. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina57060571
Feola A, Minotti C, Marchetti D, Caricato M, Capolupo GT, Marsella LT, La Monaca G. A Five-Year Survey for Plastic Surgery Malpractice Claims in Rome, Italy. Medicina. 2021; 57(6):571. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina57060571
Chicago/Turabian StyleFeola, Alessandro, Chiara Minotti, Daniela Marchetti, Marco Caricato, Gabriella Teresa Capolupo, Luigi Tonino Marsella, and Giuseppe La Monaca. 2021. "A Five-Year Survey for Plastic Surgery Malpractice Claims in Rome, Italy" Medicina 57, no. 6: 571. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina57060571