Pondering cosmetic survery.

Ontario's self-regulating medical watchdog is cracking down on family doctors who conduct cosmetic surgical procedures, demanding they prove their skills and come clean with patients about their credentials.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario is investigating 16 doctors performing high-risk cosmetic procedures in private clinics that could be a danger to the public because of concerns about their qualifications and training.

A second group of 20 doctors have been put on notice that if they do not answer mandatory questions about their qualifications, their licenses will be suspended in 60 days.

For the first time in Ontario, the college is taking action against family doctors who call themselves "cosmetic surgeons" without having proper qualifications. Under proposed new rules, the title "surgeon" will be reserved for physicians certified as surgical specialists by recognized medical bodies.

Specialties such as plastic surgery take years of post-graduate medical training. Currently, hundreds of family physicians in Ontario advertise themselves as cosmetic surgeons without any specialty designation or training.

"The regulation is to ensure people are appropriately using their title," says college spokesperson Kathryn Clarke.

The change will be discussed by council again in February and, if passed, sent to the Ontario government for approval.

The death of 32-year-old Toronto real estate agent Krista Stryland prompted the move. Stryland died Sept. 20 after Dr. Behnaz Yazdanfar performed liposuction at her Toronto Cosmetic Clinic to remove "pregnancy fat." Yazdanfar declined repeated requests for an interview.

The Ontario coroner's office is still investigating the Stryland case. No decision has been made on whether there will be an inquiry into her death. Yazdanfar continues to practise in her Toronto clinic. Her website pitches her as a "premier Toronto cosmetic surgeon" with an "impressive resume" featuring "extensive" experience, medical credentials and professional affiliations. She is not a certified surgeon.

In September, a Toronto Star investigation documented years of dithering by the medical watchdog about whether to crack down on unqualified cosmetic surgeons. College council briefing notes and discussion papers dating back to the early 1990s revealed years of lax standards and unenforced regulations even as college officials were quietly raising concerns about family physicians conducting cosmetic procedures without oversight or training.

Three weeks after the Star story was published, the college sent mandatory surveys to 406 physicians requesting details about their cosmetic procedures practices to determine whether they should receive "a practice assessment" by the college.

If patients have questions about their doctor, they should look at the college's website, says Dr. Jeffrey Turnbull, the college president. The college recently posted tips on what questions patients should ask about a physician's qualifications before undergoing a cosmetic procedure.

-- Metroland Newswire