The largest global organisation of aesthetic plastic surgeons has condemned Thailand's medical council for approving a plan to certify short-term courses for aesthetic surgery, saying it would seriously compromise patient safety.

The comments followed a Bangkok Post Sunday report in September, which quoted Thailand Medical Council president Somsak Lohlekha as saying that guidelines for a variety of short-term certificate programmes in several medical procedures will be approved by the end of the year.

The article prompted the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, which has members in 104 countries, to submit a letter to Dr Somsak requesting the council reconsider the decision. ISAPS said the move will lead to more non-core specialists performing various forms of aesthetic, or cosmetic, surgery that will lead to increased complication rates.

"This will also have serious repercussions on the thriving medical tourism industry in Thailand," said the letter.

Dr Somsak has since told the Bangkok Post Sunday that not all procedures can be performed by a non-core specialist, depending on whether the procedures require surgery.

While non-invasive (such as some types of skin laser) and minimally invasive (such as injecting Botox) procedures can be performed by a general physician, only specialists with experience in surgery can perform invasive procedures. This includes surgeons, plastic surgeons, ear, nose and throat specialists, gynecologists and ophthalmologists, said Dr Somsak, adding that they will only be allowed to perform surgery in their area of specialty. An ophthalmologist, for instance, can only perform surgery related to the eye.

"If you're already a nose specialist, you can study for just a few months to perform nose surgery, instead of wasting two years," said Dr Somsak. He added that the council puts a high emphasis on patient safety, and that a complaint arising from surgery gone wrong will "affect the country's image".

In an email to the Bangkok Post Sunday, ISAPS president Renato Saltz said the organisation is vehemently opposed to any proposed changes reducing the length or scope of physicians' training due to the inherent risks and complex nature of aesthetic surgical procedures. "Any proposal of a shortcut to gain certification in plastic surgery must be withdrawn," said Dr Saltz.

Thailand's medical council, which will issue certificates for participants upon finishing a course, has asked several professional medical organisations to take part in the drafting of the curriculum. Dr Somsak noted, however, that the certificates do not qualify participants as a "specialist".

"ISAPS believes that offering such a semantic distinction to unwary patients is grievously unethical, and that representing such rudimentary certification as sufficient rigorous medical training is unsafe and dangerously irresponsible," said Dr Saltz.