A Dutch aesthetic medicine practitioner known as 'Dr Don' has been struck off the Dutch healthcare professionals register after a facelift procedure caused permanent facial damage to a patient. According to Dutch media, the practitioner, who had ceased operations in Hengelo, is now working at an aesthetic medicine center in Belgium.
The Regional Disciplinary Tribunal in Zwolle cited multiple serious failings in the patient's care. The patient was allegedly not adequately informed of the risks of the procedure, particularly the risk of facial paralysis, a severe complication estimated to occur in about 2.6% of cases according to the disciplinary decision.
The tribunal noted that cosmetic surgery procedures, which are not medically necessary, impose a heightened duty to inform. The practitioner should have explicitly outlined this risk before the procedure.
Post-operative care was also criticized. Despite being promptly informed of complications by a nurse, the practitioner did not personally see the patient. The patient suffered lasting sequelae, including facial paralysis.
The tribunal also pointed out deficiencies in the medical records. Important findings were not recorded, the file was not transferred to the patient in a timely manner, and a consultation three weeks after the operation for swelling was insufficiently documented. The initial diagnosis made by the practitioner was also found to be incorrect.
The operating room used did not meet the requirements for a lengthy procedure such as a facelift, according to the tribunal.
The doctor acknowledged that he should have seen the patient the day after the procedure and that the transfer of medical records took too long. He contested the other allegations.
The practitioner had previously been sanctioned in disciplinary proceedings, including for shortcomings in follow-up, patient information, and record-keeping. In 2023, he received a suspended suspension.
In this new case, the tribunal found that no sufficient capacity for learning had been demonstrated. It considered the practitioner 'unconsciously incompetent' for this type of procedure and that he overestimated the limits of his competence. His removal from the register results in the immediate loss of the right to practice in the Netherlands.
His medical background also raises questions. He is not a plastic surgeon by training but a radiologist. According to the website of the clinic where he practices in Genk, he obtained a PhD in oncological PET imaging from Heidelberg University and has been dedicated to aesthetic treatments for sixteen years. It also states that he studied medicine at the University of Groningen and later specialized as a physician and radiologist in the Netherlands and Germany.
This case reignites debate about practitioners sanctioned or struck off abroad who continue to practice in Belgium. It may also prompt the Order of Physicians to review mechanisms for monitoring and exchanging information on disciplinary sanctions imposed abroad.
Source: Read the original report | Published: May 25, 2026