A plastic surgeon has been told to apologise to a woman patient over expensive facial surgery that failed to improve her appearance.
Details of the case were released by Health and Disability Commissioner Anthony Hill on Monday.
The unnamed 49-year-old woman sought help in 2008 over premature aging, including sun-damaged skin, wrinkles, frown lines and crows feet.
She had her brow, face and neck lifted at a cost of $31,000 and, while initially satisfied, complained later about sagging skin on her cheeks.
She said she looked worse, not better, and felt she had been treated like a financial commodity and humiliated at a consultation.
The unnamed surgeon agreed it was disappointing, declined a refund, but quoted an extra $19,000 for further surgery.
Anthony Hill said the surgeon failed to provide adequate and balanced information about the costs and merits of alternative treatments.
