| Plastic surgeon disciplined for removing woman's breasts |
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| Thursday, 08 March 2007 | |
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After the procedure, the woman, who was 31 at the ime, complained to the Queensland Medical Council, claiming that she had merely sought a breast reduction, being unhappy about the size and weight of her breasts. She claimed that she hadn't been "thinking clearly" when she was seen by Dr Haertsch in October 1999, having undergone a split from her fiance and lost a relative. In his defence, Dr Haertsch claimed that the woman had wanted both breasts removed, including her nipples, so that she could be completely flat-chested. He said he refused to remove her nipples but agreed to perform the double mastectomy. At the Health Practitioners Tribunal, Dr Haertsch pleaded guilty to a charge of unsatisfactory professional conduct brought by Queensland's Medical Board. The tribunal was told by Kathryn McMillan, counsel for the board, that there had not been a cooling off period between the initial consultation and the surgical procedure, not had the doctor referred the patient for psychiatric counselling prior to confirming the surgery. "He has shown a lack of insight and other errors of judgment," she said. Dr Haertsch's defence lawyer David Tait told the tribunal that the incident caused "significant embarrassment" to his client and that it wouldn't happen again. The tribunal ordered Dr Haertsch not be able to re-register to practise in Queensland for a year. In addition, if he were to register in the future, he must observe cooling off periods before agreeing surgery with patients and submit himself to peer review. |
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