| Ebay of cosmetic surgery launches |
|
|
|
| Tuesday, 26 September 2006 | |
|
Once a request has been made by a patient, the details of the procedure (but not the patient) are sent to doctors who have registered on the website and who specialise in the particular area of treatment and are in the same geographic region as the patient. The auction takes the form of a reverse, or Dutch auction, with doctors bidding lower and lower amounts to compete for the patient's business. After 3 days, the auction Is closed and the patient receives the contact details of all the doctors who bid for the procedure. As well as the price quoted for the treatment, doctors include their credentials and details of their surgical facilities. The patient is then able to contact any or all of the doctors who have responded to the auction, and can arrange a free consultation with any of the practices. Once the patient has satisfied herself and made a final choice of surgeon, an agreement is reached between patient and doctor to proceed. However, unless the patient contacts a doctor, her details are not revealed to any of the surgeons. While the potential for streamlining the market process is to be welcomed, and there is potential to match surplus surgical time with patient demand, patients should exercise caution in selecting a surgeon for cosmetic surgery on the basis of price alone. The post-auction follow up allows the patient to meet with potential surgeons for a consultation, but patients would be best advised to choose a surgeon for cosmetic surgery on the basis of his experience, expertise, credentials, history and medical facilities. Given the medical risks associated with any surgery, and the near-permanent result of cosmetic surgery, the difference in cost between one surgeon and another should not be the deciding factor in the choice made by patients. |
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
