A Joburg plastic surgeon suspended from practice for six months after botching a boob job in 2008 is again facing similar charges.
Dr Luke Gordon, of the Metamorphosis Clinic in Benoni, is being investigated by the Health Professions Council of SA (HPCSA) over allegations that he botched Myrna Bothma’s surgery.
Bothma, of Mpumalanga, has accused Gordon of ruining her life and leaving her body worse off than it was when he operated on her in January last year. Bothma decided to have a tummy tuck, liposuction and a breast lift to improve her body after three caesareans, a hysterectomy and breastfeeding had taken their toll on her breasts and abdomen. She spent more than R60 000 on the procedures.
But now she is claiming she has nothing to show after her surgical ordeal apart from ghastly scars, despite the doctor assuring her that there would not be much scarring.
Her breasts are still saggy and have huge scars underneath them, she says. The nipples were also moved and repositioned, leaving her with scarring. A deep scar runs across her abdomen from one side to the other, and there is also scarring near her belly button.
Bothma claims she paid for liposuction, but it was never performed, and that there is no improvement in the appearance of her abdomen since the operation.
“The tummy tuck was not done properly. The breast lift was unsuccessful. My belly button is off centre and looks terrible and I have been left with terrible scarring,” she stated in her complaint to the HPCSA.
Bothma had the surgery because she wanted to look good for her second husband of two years. What hurts her the most, she said, was the fact that her husband had given her half the money he had inherited from his late mother to pay for her surgery.
“But I look worse now. My self-confidence is down and I am seeing a psychiatrist. I only feel pretty when I am dressed. I have no cleavage, nothing, and have to constantly wear push-up bras. My breast are flat. They sag so much that they go under my arms when I’m lying down. When I asked the doctor why he had not performed the liposuction, he said the machine was too big to be moved from Benoni to Mpumalanga, where my operation was,” said the distraught woman.
“He also gave me a quotation of R23 000 for the mistakes to be fixed, but why must I pay for the mistakes? I spent a small fortune and now look terrible. I have to live with these scars, and my self-image has dropped to the ground. My husband has designed a tattoo to have over the tummy tuck scar, but nothing can fix my breasts.”
Gordon is no stranger to medical complaints regarding his work. In 2008 the HPCSA suspended him from practising for six months. He was also ordered to work in a state hospital or clinic under supervision, and a reputable plastic and reconstructive surgeon was later to report to the HPCSA that Gordon was competent to practise independently and privately before he could operate on his own again.
But Dr Kgosi Letlape, acting registrar and HPCSA CEO, said Gordon actually never worked under supervision because he had appealed the sentence and won. The HPCSA then took him to the high court, compelling him to undergo further training. Letlape said the HPCSA was satisfied that he was competent in his job, and that at the time he performed Bothma’s surgery last year, he was not under suspension.
“In light of the fact that Dr Gordon has undergone additional training as required by the court order, he has complied with all the relevant requirements and therefore there should be no reason why he should not be able to execute his duties,” Letlape said.
When contacted for comment, Gordon declined to respond to questions about Bothma’s surgery. “Please be advised that ethically I am not in a position to comment on this matter as I am not at liberty to discuss a patient’s confidential information. What I am prepared to say is that I deny any wrongdoing on my part in this matter.” - The Star