Donda West Law Passed in California

She was the mother of Kanye West, who died after undergoing several plastic surgery procedures in a non-hospital setting. No history and physical or medical clearance was done prior to her surgery.

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1623902/20091015/west_kanye .jhtml

Frankly, I don't like the bill.  Why does every single person who wants to get plastic surgery need to go through a physical and get a clearance from another doctor because of what happened to this woman?  It's a classic knee jerk reaction and the Governor was wrong to sign the bill.  It just increases costs for everyone.  And what defines a "physical" and "clearance?"  My surgeon takes a thorough medical history each time I have a procedure performed.  He also does an EKG and blood work.  I'm sure if I indicated that I have a history of heart disease, he would send me to a cardiologist to get clearance.  

Here in California, it was common knowledge that Donda West had been denied surgery by at least two other plastic surgeons beause of her pre-existing conditions.  There were so many things wrong with her surgery - 12 hours of surgery in a strip mall surgery center, she was sent home instead of to a hospital following her surgery, her surgeon was not board certified and after she arrived home and had difficulties, her care givers made further errors.  What happened to this woman was horrible but I don't think this law is going to prevent this thing from happening again.  What the Governor should do is police the surgeons like the one who operated on Donda West and not force every single patient to undergo this needless hassle.

I don't know if it's state law, but in Miami, you need medical clearance from your primary physician before you have any type of surgical procedure.  It can be a hassle, but it does give you peace of mind.

There is not much on the details of this law online.

As I understand it, the law requires a physical exam and that cosmetic surgery patients "have a medical clearance from a licensed physician."  Whether ot not it can be the operating doctor or another physician is unclear. Also, there may be a 30-day time frame on this, which may not apply to all patients.

Florida enacted a law similiar to this years ago after mishaps in several ambulatory surgical centers, so the issue is not new.

The fact is that failure to properly clear patients for elective, cosmetic surgery has been a problem outside of this case.  As an expert witness, I can attest to this fact.

What's sad is that any doctor would forgo a reasonable medical eval and physical exam prior to any surgery. 

Doctor L,  I agree that a reasonable medical evaluation and physical exam is necessary for all patients.  And if the licensed physician is your plastic surgeon, then I suppose it's not a problem - at least for others like me.  My surgeon does a great physical exam and testing prior to surgery.  I'm having the last of my four rounds of plastics in 10 days and I had a PreOp yesterday with no (as I write, that is) requirement to go on a wild goose chase finding my PCP to attest that I am healthy enough for surgery.  The Hollywood celebrity crowd (Michael Jackson, Anna Nicole and Donda Wests of the world) will always find ways around this legislation and find cooperating surgeons and doctors to treat them regardless of the risk.   This law does nothing to change the dynamics for the celebrity crowd it merely forces the rest of us to undergo new rules.  I am convinced that I will be no safer after this law than I was before. 

I have to disagree with you here --  Celebrities ARE ordinary, regular people, just like we are.  This whole town where I live has had plastics of some kind or another -- just like all of us.

Anyone -- any person at all -- can be motivated to "cheat" and find someone who will perform medical services that should never occur.  Someone doesn't have to be a public figure or celebrity to behave so foolishly.  I am very, very happy that it is now law: People have to have medical clearance before surgery, after competent and recent evaluation by a doctor (ideally not the one performing the procedure).  

I'm not sure why you would think that patients of renown deserve less medical protection than anyone else ... do I understand that correctly? ... or that ANY patients, ANY where, should forgo reasonable medical precautions.  This is really such vitally important legislation.  

Trust me when I say that a celebrity is a celebrity on your TV screen or in the movie theater, but this person is physiologically like other human beings and will suffer the consequences of inappropriately performed procedures just as we would.  We ALL deserve this kind of protection, and I'm glad that what formerly was only good medical protocol is now law in California.

Some people, including surgeons, will follow law when they will not follow only established precautions.

I don't know why you think that I feel that celebrities deserve less care????  My first sentence says that reasonable testing should be done for everyone. 

So sorry -- I read your post to indicate that you thought the law was a foolish one designed to protect "regular" people from the mistakes that "celebrities" make.

I am in FLorida but of course having plastics at a Federal facility complicates it somewhat.  But my surgeons require blood work, chest x-ray, EKG and before I had my first plastics - I had to have clearance from both my hematologist and the chief of hematology at the hospital (now I just get a hemo consult the day before).  Plus, I have to see my PCP prior to surgery.   Then on top of that I am always admitted to the hospital the day before surgery so that they can monitor my clotting factors.  I always feel well cared for and protected.  My docs know I have risk factors but they also know that with adequate monitoring and good care these risk factors can be managed and I can safely have surgery.

I see my PCP at least twice a year and she knows my plastics schedule and she sees the prescriptions that I fill before each procedure.  My plastic surgeon does not require me to see her but she's kept in the loop.  I don't have any chronic conditions that require special care so I am very fortunate.