Four nationally known medical societies this week announce the formation of the Physicians Aesthetic Coalition, created to promote patient safety in cosmetic medicine and aesthetic surgery through public and physician education initiatives. 

The Coalition is a cooperative, multispecialty effort of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), the American Academy of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS), the American Society Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ASOPRS), and the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS).
 
“All of the organizations have active and successful patient safety initiatives. However, we feel that a unified voice representing more than 8,000 board certified physicians will further advance our goals of informing the public of patient safety issues and continuing patient safety educational efforts to all members” says Jonathan Sykes, MD, president of the AAFPRS. “We look forward to working with our colleagues across specialties to increase patient safety for anyone considering cosmetic medicine or aesthetic surgery procedures."

"Along with the increasing popularity of aesthetic surgery and noninvasive cosmetic treatments, an increasing and disturbing number of non-qualified clinicians and unproven treatments are being promoted to the public. This is a significant patient safety issue" said Felmont F. Eaves III, MD, president of the ASAPS. “Through the Coalition, we can address these issues on a stronger platform than we could individually, using credible medical evidence to help patients make informed decisions."
 
“One of the Coalition’s founding principles is to develop educational forums for the public and media, transparent and free of commercial bias,” says Jeffery S. Dover, MD, president of the ASDS. “Over the next several months, we will be announcing new resources to help differentiate fact from fiction."
 
“Nothing is more important to us, both as a medical society and as individual physicians, than keeping our patients safe” said Jeffrey A. Nerad, MD, president of the ASOPRS). “We are hopeful that this new Coalition will help us in achieving this end”.

[Source: ASOPRS/AAFPRS/ASDS/ASAPS]