Causes of Injury and Litigation in Cutaneous Laser Surgery: An Update From 2012 to 2020.

OBJECTIVE: To identify common causes of injury and liability claims related to cutaneous laser surgery from 2012 to 2020. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Search of online national legal database of public legal documents regarding cutaneous laser surgery litigation. RESULTS: From 2012 to 2020, 69 cases of liability claims due to a cutaneous laser surgery device were identified. Of these, 49 (71%) involved a nonphysician operator (NPO); 12 incidents (17%) involved non-core physician operators performing the procedure; 6 cases (9%) involved a plastic surgeon operator; and 2 cases (3%) involved a dermatologist operator. Laser hair removal was most litigated (44 cases, 64%), followed by laser skin rejuvenation (20 cases, 30%). Thirty-six of 69 cases had a discernible outcome, 53% (n = 19) rendered judgements in favor of the plaintiff, with a mean indemnity payment of $320,975 (range, $1,665-$1.5 million). CONCLUSION: Previous work evaluating trends in laser surgery litigation from 1985 to 2012 identified increasing injury and legal action when performed by NPOs. Data from this study are consistent with these previous findings. Both studies demonstrate that NPOs account for most cases of legal action with an increasing proportion of cases being performed by NPOs. In this study, unsupervised NPOs comprise nearly three-quarters of laser surgery lawsuits, but the data may underestimate the frequency of injury and litigation caused by unsupervised NPOs.

Who are the Pioneers? A Critical Analysis of Innovation and Expertise in Cutaneous Noninvasive and Minimally Invasive Cosmetic and Surgical Procedures.

BACKGROUND: Few studies illustrate the contributions made by various specialties in pioneering commonly performed noninvasive and minimally invasive cosmetic and surgical procedures. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the contributions made by various specialties in pioneering noninvasive and minimally invasive cosmetic and surgical procedures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Key words using the Medical Search Headings Database were used to query in the Thomson Reuters Web of Science Database. The 25 most highly cited studies were sorted according to the citation number. The author specialty was identified and assigned scores based on the number of citations. RESULTS: Dermatology was identified as the specialty with the greatest contribution to botulinum toxin treatments for rhytides, injectable fillers, laser treatments, chemical peels, and noninvasive body contouring. Neurology was identified as the leading specialty in botulinum toxin treatments for hyperhidrosis, and vascular surgery was identified as leading specialty in sclerotherapy. Plastic surgery was identified as having made the greatest contribution to hair transplantation, and liposuction. CONCLUSION: Dermatology was identified as the leading specialty for the majority of noninvasive and minimally invasive cosmetic procedures. Other specialties have also contributed important literature to this area.