Death of Hairdresser Reinforces Importance of Specialty Registration

On September 11, hairdresser Edisa de Jesus Soloni, 20, died hours after undergoing three plastic surgeries at a clinic in the Central-South region of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais (MG). The clinic denies negligence, claims to have provided assistance, and states that the cause of death was pulmonary embolism. However, the family filed a police report, and the case is being investigated by the Civil Police of Minas Gerais, which has opened an inquiry to determine the causes of the young woman's death.

The aesthetic clinic Belíssima, where the procedure was performed, states that "the plastic surgeon responsible for the procedure is a member of the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery (SBCP) and required all pre-operative tests, which showed the patient was in total condition to undergo the procedure." However, the SBCP informed that the doctor "completed an internship (equivalent to medical residency) but does not hold the title of specialist."

Lawyer Fernanda Ronchi – a specialist in Business and Health Law – warns that the professional cannot call themselves a plastic surgeon until there is a specialty registration with the responsible body. "The announcement of specialty can only occur after its registration with the Council, through a specialist title provided by an association or society affiliated with the Brazilian Medical Association or after the completion of medical residency in the relevant area, accredited by the National Commission of Medical Residency (CNRM), according to regulatory decree No. 8,516/2016," she states.

In this area of practice, when the doctor completes the residency or internship, they must take the Specialist Title Exam, conducted by the SBCP and the Brazilian Medical Association (AMB), and pass. "Subsequently, the professional will receive the Qualification Registration of Specialization (RQE). This complementary document is issued by the Councils and ensures that, in addition to being qualified to practice medicine, the doctor is also a specialist in a certain area," she advises.

Regarding the fact that the doctor – who performed the procedures in Minas Gerais – is a member of the SBCP, the body informed that "he is an aspiring member of the institution, meaning he is not a specialist member." The plastic surgeons' entity explained that, "according to Brazilian law, the doctor is not required to have a specialist title to perform procedures such as plastic surgery, for example, but assumes responsibility for the procedure."

Lawyer Fernanda Ronchi explains that the fact that the medical professional does not hold the title of specialist in plastic surgery does not prevent the practice of the act. "However, the doctor who advertises a title they do not possess commits an ethical violation, misleading advertising, and attracts potential liability," she says.

On the website of the Federal Council of Medicine (portal.cfm.org.br) or the regional medical councils (CRMs) of each state (the listing of websites is available on the CFM portal), it is possible to verify if a doctor is qualified to practice or if they actually hold a certain specialty. According to the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery, most cases of procedures resulting in lawsuits involve professionals without specialization or from other areas.

Through the CRM (the professional's registration number with the council, which appears on the doctor's stamp and prescription), or simply by full name, a search can be made on these official platforms. The search indicates whether the registration is active or inactive and, depending on the case, if it has been revoked.

When the registration appears as inactive, there are three possibilities: either the doctor has died, or they canceled their registration (because they moved to another state and do not want to maintain it in two locations, for example), or they faced penalties, meaning their registration was suspended or revoked. The interested party can call the CRM to inquire why a particular registration is inactive.