There is an interesting post from the Scalpel or Sword blog regarding the dangers of operating on celebrities such as Tiger Woods:
When a 32 year old soon-to-be billionaire superstar seeks medical treatment, I doubt he has to get a referral from his PCP or approval from an HMO pencil-pusher. But as the John Ritter case revealed, when a rich celebrity suffers a disastrous medical outcome, the potential liability far exceeds any insurance coverage or assets of the treating physicians.
Sure, the Orthopedist will get to prominently display a signed picture in his office waiting room of Tiger shaking his hand, and he will likely benefit from the prestige of having such a high-profile patient. And I'm sure Tiger will pay his bill in full. But what is a reasonable fee for taking on the enormous liability risk of treating such a patient?
This is even more true when the surgery being performed on the celebrity is plastic surgery. The Donda West case is an excellent example of that. Sure, her surgeon may have gotten some kudos for doing a nice job had things gone well, but since the situation ended poorly, his practice has now been devastated. Obviously other factors are in play in that situation as well. That being said, would I operate on celebrities? Yes.
Story credit: scalpelorsword.blogspot.com by way of KevinMD.com
Photo credit: prphotos.com
Thanks for reading,
Michigan-based Plastic Surgeon
Anthony Youn, M.D.:
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