London — Reuters reports that British surgeons have condemned a lottery that offers winners money for facelifts, breast enlargements and other cosmetic procedures.
According to Reuters, London-based Europa International is running what is thought to be the world’s first lottery for cosmetic surgery. Winners of the monthly contest receive upwards of $10,000 toward the cost of their choice of cosmetic surgery.
The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) has publicly condemned the lottery as “an unscrupulous marketing gimmick” and warned patients they could be putting themselves at risk.
Reuters reports that the association is concerned about what it sees as the lottery’s “hype-filled process” as well as the lack of counseling provided to winners. Those winners are randomly selected in a drawing and are flown to Prague, Czech Republic, for the surgery.
Europa is the marketing arm for cosmetic-surgery clinics in Prague. Reuters reports that Europa officials claim lottery winners are dealt with in the same way as any other client, and that each lottery participant is required to complete a medical questionnaire.
