A plastic surgeon and father-of-two from the Ukraine, who regularly shares photographs of his unconscious patients on Instagram, has come in for considerable criticism from the Surgeons at the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.
While Edgar Kaminsky, who has been practicing for eight years, has gained a loyal following online, both the public and those in the medical community have taken issue with the 31-year-old's Instagram account.
With photographs of his children and family life interspersing images of semi-naked patients and blood-stained medical staff, questions have been asked as to the purpose of his candid shots.
While Surgeons at the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery have acknowledged that the surgeon has a loyal fanbase online, they have found fault with the nature of the photographs he shares.
“Pre- and post-op pictures, when they are used professionally and respectfully, can be very helpful for patients,” Mary O’Brien, consultant plastic surgeon and BAAPS council member told the MailOnline.
"But inappropriate use of photos and social media is exploitative of vulnerable patients," she argued.
Suggesting the surgeon has more interest in gaining celebrity status than maintaining his professional reputation, she added: ”And it is my view, that during an operation, a surgeon should be focusing wholly on that operation, and not on marketing for his own personal gain.”
Defending himself against the criticism, Kaminskyi said: “All my broadcastings in Periscope are organized after the agreement with my patients.”
“They sign an appropriate document. I do not take social networks as a mean of communication, only as an advertising engine,” he added.
