Insta-famous Toronto plastic surgeon suspended for secretly filming patients
The Toronto surgeon behind some of Instagram's biggest butts, Dr. 6ix, has had his license to practice medicine suspended for an ironic six months over shady social media behaviour that included posting footage of unconcious patients online without their consent.
Dr. Martin Jugenburg first started making headlines for his "inappropriate" behaviour in 2019 when a group of former patients launched a class-action lawsuit against him.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs claimed at the time that Jugenburg had used surveillance cameras to film thousands of consultations, examinations and operations, many of them featuring patients in varying states of undress, without properly notifying the subjects.
Jugenburg was also accused of posting photos of one woman's bare breasts to his multiple, highly active social media accounts against her explicitly stated wishes.
The surgeon is said to have allowed a television crew to film another patient's breast augmentation surgery in 2016 after she specifically told him that she did not consent.
Self-styled (and quite sucessfully so) as "Dr. 6ix," Jugenburg is best-known for performing Brazillian butt lifts, breast augmentations and tummy tuck procedures, both in Kuwait and out of his own clinic at Toronto's Royal York Hotel (the Toronto Cosmetic Surgery Institute).
While he continues to post all types of photos (many of them quite graphic) for his 142,000+ Instagram followers, the disciplinary committee of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario has now ordered the suspension of Jugenburg's licence for six months as a result of its own investigation and hearings.
The doctor had been cited for professional misconduct multiple times in the past over his social media postings. He was previously ordered to, and has since removed, video surveillance recording devices from "any areas where patient encounters occur or may occur, which involve or may involve patients moving or removing clothing."
In addition to suspending his licence, the college has also ordered Dr. 6ix to appear before them for "a public reprimand" and "successfully complete one-on-one instruction in professionalism, communication, and informed consent with an instructor selected by the College."
These latest orders are effective as of May 12, 2021, according to the college's website, but Jugenburg has reportedly been given 30 days to get his affairs in order first, before the suspension begins June 11.
"I am disappointed with the lengthy suspension, however I am grateful that the process is nearing an end and that the college recognized my intent was never to harm any patients," said Jugenburg to the National Post this week when asked about the disciplinary actions.
"The college also recognized the significant changes that have already been implemented in my practice to address the concerns and protect patient privacy. I would like to apologize to anyone who was affected by this."
