A Naas based Solicitor has claimed today that more and more patients are filing litigation claims against clinics after being burned, scarred or otherwise injured during laser surgeries performed by non-doctors.
Liam Moloney a healthcare Solicitor said today “patients who undergo laser treatments should inquire at the outset the qualifications and experience of the individual performing their procedure. Because of the lack of regulations in Ireland just because a person is legally able to provide the service does not mean that they are necessarily competent and qualified to do so. Powerful lasers used for these treatments can cause serious skin burns and cell damage when used by poorly trained people”.
He continued “research has shown that well established procedures like laser hair removal are not inherently safe. Lasers have a variety of risks including the risk of eye injury and burns. In some countries only doctors can perform laser hair removal surgery but in Ireland there is no such restriction”.
Mr Moloney added “treating a patient with any type of light energy can cause permanent damage simply when too much light energy is administered to a given area of skin. Darker skin absorbs significantly more light energy than light skin so for any given level of laser energy darker skin will get quite a bit hotter than light skin. The hotter the skin the greater the risk of burn or scar formation”.
“Lasers can also result in damage to eyes if proper precautions and safety rules are not followed”, he said.
