Loading Curie Briefs...
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Brazil's São Paulo medical council just drew a hard line on marathon cosmetic surgeries. A new resolution prohibits scheduling elective cosmetic procedures lasting 6 hours or more in a single session, citing mounting evidence that longer operative times significantly raise the risk of complications. Exceptions are allowed but must be documented in the medical record.
Brazil's Regional Medical Council of São Paulo (Cremesp) has approved Resolution No. 400/2026, prohibiting elective cosmetic plastic surgeries estimated to last 6 hours or more in a single session. The rule, which took effect in May 2026, was driven by a pattern of complications seen in ethical and professional cases reviewed by the council — particularly involving popular combined procedures like the "Mommy Makeover," which bundles abdominoplasty, liposuction, and breast surgery into one sitting.
The regulation calls for holistic preoperative planning that accounts for anesthesia time, procedural complexity, number of areas treated, patient clinical condition, and use of concurrent technologies like radiofrequency or laser. Staging extensive procedures across multiple sessions is strongly recommended when feasible. Facilities must also have adequate anesthesia support, safety protocols, and ICU backup in place.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: This regulation formalizes surgical duration as a patient safety metric in cosmetic surgery — a field where social media trends can pressure both patients and surgeons toward riskier, longer combined procedures. Early data from São Paulo hospitals suggest the rule is already reducing morbidity.
