Page 12 - IAV Digital Magazine #624

iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine
Doctors Warn Of 'Risk of Death' From Penis Botox And Filler Injections
Health
professionals have warned of the poten- tially lethal danger of penis Botox and filler injections amid an increase in men seek- ing procedures in Scotland.
Medics have warned of a “growing number” of unregulated “pop- up” clinics offering men treatments for erectile dysfunction or to increase the size of their genitals.
The procedures see Botox, which relaxes muscles, or fillers, which can increase size, injected into the patient’s penis.
Botched cases have resulted in men hav- ing their pensies amputated, a doctor has told STV News.
Medics
warned of pop-up clinics with unlicensed practitioners operating outside the bounds of medical safety, using unapproved treat- ments and deceptive social media market- ing tactics.
Dr Ben Taylor-Davies, who runs the Stockbridge Clinic in Edinburgh and also works as an A&E doc- tor, said the proce- dures, even when carried out by an experienced surgeon, carry risks including necrosis or death.
“These are not treat- ments I’d ever recom- mend any patient undertake and if they were considering them, seeing an experienced urologi- cal surgeon would be vital”, he told STV
News.
“This is the latest example of why urgent regulation of the surgical and non- surgical aesthetics industry is needed in order to protect the public from harm.
“There are a number of significant risks involved with injec- tions to this region, including infection, allergy, necrosis (dying of tissue) and even death.”
Dr Darren McKeown, a plastic surgeon, told STV News that providers on social media platforms such as TikTok are taking advantage of “com- mon insecurities”.
“Penis size is a con- cern for many men”, he said. “Research shows that most men underestimate the size of their penis and worry that it is smaller than it is. It’s a very common insecurity.
“Unfortunately, there are a growing number of clinics popping up offering quick fixes by injecting fillers into the penis to make it thick- er. Some are even injecting Botox to make the penis hang lower when flaccid.”
Dr McKeown has warned that while the procedures may seem “logical and straight- forward”, they can cause lifelong prob- lems.
He has even warned of rare cases where men have had to have their genitals amputated.
“They are plagued with problems, includ- ing infections, product reactions, and lumps, and many men are left desperately embarrassed and in need of corrective surgery”, he added.
“Even after corrective surgery, however, some men can be left with lifelong problems, and in rare cases, some have even needed to have their penis amputated.
“I would strongly urge any man considering cosmetic procedures to see a specialist urological surgeon for advice.
“Most urologists advise against these types of procedures because of the high risk of complications and the poor chances of patient satisfaction. You should not be treated in a pop-up clinic and you should not be treated by someone who is not a specialist, or worse still, someone with no medical qualifications whatsoever.
“There are many videos on social media, particularly TikTok, that make this look like a quick and easy fix, but the reali- ty is very different, and by the time many men are finding this
out, it’s too late, and they have to live with life-changing injuries.”
It is not the first dan- gerous trend offered by unregulated pop- up clinics offering cos- metic procedures. In May last year, a woman had to be taken to hospital after undergoing a Brazilian Butt Lift in a Glasgow hotel.
Thousands of pounds of unlicensed and unprescribed products used in cosmetic injections were seized by authorities from a warehouse in the city in a separate incident.
Healthcare profes- sionals previously warned that Scotland was becoming the “worst country in Europe” for unquali- fied beauticians inject- ing customers with cosmetic treatments due to the lack of leg- islation preventing anyone from advertis- ing on social media offering beauty treat- ments.
Currently in Scotland, under-18s are not banned from receiving these treatments, unlike in England, where stricter regula- tions have been implemented.
Last month, the Scottish Government revealed proposals to crack down on “cow- boy” Botox, fillers and cosmetic surgery pro- cedures.
iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine