The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland has this evening detailed why it reported a French surgeon to the Medical Council last year.
The RCSI said it reported the surgeon because four patients who had a weight reduction procedure at the Advanced Cosmetic Surgery clinic in Dublin later had to be admitted to hospital accident and emergency departments.
Professor Arthur Tanner of the RCSI said that gastric banding should only be performed in a hospital environment.
Paris-based surgeon Dr Jerome Manuceau is currently suspended from working in Ireland pending the outcome of the Medical Council inquiry.
Today he criticised the action of the RCSI and said the procedure was not risky and involved minimal surgery.
Health Minister Mary Harney said this evening she expects the report from the Patient Safety Commission next month to outline proposals for a statutory licensing system for all private clinics and hospitals.
Dr Manuceau has told RTÉ News that he is still performing weight-reduction cosmetic surgery procedures on Irish patients who travel to his Paris clinic.
He gave evidence yesterday at an inquest into the death of Wicklow mother of six Bernadette Reid, who died after a planned gastric banding procedure in the ACS clinic in Dublin in 2007.
The inquest verdict was death due to natural causes.
Speaking from Paris today, Dr Manuceau said that since his suspension in Ireland last year, around 30 patients have travelled to his clinic in Paris for the procedure. Two such operations were performed in the last week.
He said he would not work in Ireland again.
