Push for stricter plastic surgery rules swells in California

Los Angeles Times, May 27, 2008

Six months after the mother of Kanye West died following liposuction and breast implant surgery, California lawmakers and physicians are urging greater protections for patients undergoing cosmetic surgery. Such surgeries are increasingly done outside hospital settings in outpatient clinics, where a doctor can avoid the rigorous reviews. More than a decade ago, California pushed to regulate outpatient surgical centers amid high-profile reports that patients were critically injured or dying during procedures. Legislators passed a law that said such centers must be accredited by an agency recognized by the state. But critics say the law has not been effective.