Edmonton laser clinic shut down after inspection sparked by severe burn claims

A south Edmonton laser clinic has been shut down by health authorities after an inspection revealed sanitation concerns. The inspection was sparked after claims that a local man suffered severe burns after being treated at the studio.

An Edmonton laser clinic has been shut down by health authorities after an inspection revealed sanitation concerns.

The inspection was done by Alberta Health Services after a local man claimed he suffered severe burns after being treated at the studio.

“I actually stopped breathing because it was less painful to just hold yourself as though you’re being tortured,” said Peter Shea. “That’s exactly how I felt.”

Shea his burn wounds are a result of a $1,470 treatment that was to remove three inches off his waist.

“He said I would probably lose somewhere between 30 and 50 pounds,” Shea said.

Shea says that was supposed to happen in four Lipo-Ex treatments of heat being applied to fat on his abdomen. The treatment advertisement promises no pain.

“There’s not supposed to be any pain,” he said.

But that wasn’t the case.

“The power is so hot… to be honest at times, it felt like a curling iron being applied to your skin, it was super, super hot,” he said.

Shea said the first couple of treatments didn’t cause any damage but he also didn’t see any results. During his final treatment, Shea says the method changed – and that’s when he was burned.

“He says, the heat isn’t working so we’re going to change to a suction and freezing method and this had never been discussed at all in the initial consultation,” Shea said.

“I’ve got huge blisters… my doctor said I have second-degree burns and possibly that I’m going to have scarring for life.”

Shea filed a complaint with Alberta Health Services.

On Wednesday, it shut the business down for not following an existing order for basic infection control.

Sanitation issues raised during inspection

“We zero in on instruments and look for visibly dirty instruments that might be touching person after person after person without being cleaned. We found that. Instruments that were visibly dirty leading us to believe they’re being used on multiple people,” said AHS environmental health officer Jason MacDonald.

“The other thing we look for is hand hygiene. You can have soap and paper towel and hand gel but you have to use it and this person clearly wasn’t.”

MacDonald says he found a number of equipment at Ultra Medic Laser Studio that wasn’t adequately sanitized including instruments that were being used on multiple patients.

“There’s a piece of equipment he’s using there that is meant for vaginal rejuvenation so woman are going there and getting vaginal rejuvenation done, meaning this device is touching the vaginal area. There’s a certain level of cleaning and disinfection that must be done if you’re doing that,” he said.

MacDonald says the owner must show sanitizing protocol that is satisfactory to Alberta Health Services before it can be reopened. Currently there are no fines included in the closure order.

“We did post in the facility a sign at the front counter saying this facility is closed, this notice shall not be removed, if there are any services provided here forth we may take further action,” he said.

Owner declines interview

In 2011, CTV News reported on Ultra Medic after the owner, Sukhdave Seerhas, also known as Sukki, after he faced a court order requested by the College of Physicians and Surgeons to stop using terms to imply he is a medical doctor.

CTV News called Seerhas for an interview after talking to Shea, but was declined. Attempts to speak in person were also turned down, however, the owner did agree to reimburse Shea for all that he and his wife paid for treatments – totalling $3,400.

The couple also had hair treatments as part of the package but Shea’s wife says her skin wasn’t damaged in that treatment. She points out however, that she didn’t get the results she wanted either.

Shea meanwhile is hoping for the refund but is disappointed with what he’s been through.

“My waist is the same size and my weight hasn’t changed and all I’ve got is severe pain and some scarring and a big mess,” Shea said.

The Alberta College of Physicians and Surgeons says there is no requirement for a medical doctor to perform laser treatment.

There is also no provincial or federal regulation on people who provide laser treatments.

With files from Laura Lowe