Plastic surgeon fined for unprofessional conduct in Tasmania

The Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (TASCAT) has found plastic surgeon Dr. Gary Kode guilty of unprofessional conduct and unsatisfactory professional performance. The ruling follows a Medical Board of Australia investigation into a 2019 procedure performed at Calvary St Vincent's Hospital in Launceston.

A patient, identified as Ms. A, underwent an abdominoplasty, breast reduction, and mastopexy following significant weight loss. While expert witnesses noted the initial surgery was performed competently, the patient suffered severe post-surgical complications. Four days after the procedure, clinical examinations revealed blistering and odor at the umbilical site, and scans identified fluid pockets beneath the surgical site.

Poor blood supply to the tissues led to extensive necrosis, requiring the patient to undergo 12 debridement procedures and two skin grafts to remove dead tissue. Dr. Kode was fined $2,000 as a result of the tribunal's findings.