SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Health is coming up with new regulations on liposuction, and it is now seeking feedback on its proposals.

Firstly, liposuction will come under the Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics Act under the proposals. This means any clinic that offers liposuction on its premises must obtain prior approval from the ministry and meet specific licensing conditions.

Secondly, a doctor who wishes to practise liposuction must have undergone at least one year of surgical training following housemanship, and must have attended relevant liposuction-specific education and training.

Practitioners with previous experience who wish to continue to perform liposuction in their clinics will have their performance records reviewed.

The health ministry said while liposuction is not a procedure to treat a life-threatening condition, it carries some risks. Therefore it wants to make it mandatory for patients to be given a minimum 15-day period to consider the procedure and risks before it is carried out.

Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan said: "We are not alone – there are people who feel the necessity for such a cooling-off feature to avoid and eliminate hard-selling... The poor customer may be under pressure to go under the knife."

However, this requirement will be waived for foreign patients as Mr Khaw said it would not be practical for them to wait 15 days between the consultation and procedure. But the doctor will need to document the evaluation and counselling process in detail.

The new regulations also state where liposuction can be carried out, which depends on the amount of fat to be removed, the health of the patient and the anaesthesia required.

Only liposuction procedures that remove less than 1 litre of supernatant fat in healthy patients, performed under local anaesthesia, may be permitted in appropriately equipped surgical facilities of approved medical clinics.

When the above procedure is undertaken with sedation, the practitioner would need to be assisted by a registered nurse.

When liposuction involves the removal of more than 1 litre of fat, the use of general anaesthesia, or patients with medical conditions, the procedure can only be performed in a day-surgery centre or a hospital.

Any clinic that offers liposuction must obtain prior approval from the Health Ministry. Hospitals and day-surgery centres will also need to accredit their doctors for this.

The Society of Aesthetic Medicine Singapore has welcomed the proposed regulations and said they underscore the commitment to 'patient safety first'.

The organisation represents 150 doctors from different disciplines who have a special interest in the practice of aesthetic medicine.

The public can send their feedback on the proposals to moh_info@moh.gov.sg, or they can fax it in to 6224 1677.


- CNA/ac/so