July 1, 2025 From CBC News
Plastic Surgeon Disciplined Again After Years of Complaints
In March 2025, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba suspended Dr. Manfred Ziesmann for six weeks after he admitted to a “lack of knowledge, skill and judgment” in his treatment of three patients. It wasn’t the first time Ziesmann had faced scrutiny—nor the first time patients were left disappointed by the regulator’s response.
Longstanding Concerns from Former Patients
One former patient, Melanie Drain, has been speaking out since 2010, when a drainage tube broke off inside her breast after surgery. She alleges that Dr. Ziesmann yanked the tube out, leaving her with years of discomfort and an embedded piece of equipment. The College reprimanded him in 2017 and required a record-keeping course—but Drain says that wasn’t enough.
Her concern:
“If the College had done more back then, other patients might have been spared.”
Pattern of Record-Keeping Failures and Surgical Errors
The 2025 disciplinary decision cited major failures in patient documentation and communication. In one case, implant sizes were reversed during surgery—contradicting the consent form. In another, Ziesmann failed to document how he assessed a skin lesion that turned out to be cancer.
Over more than a decade, patients raised concerns about incomplete records, surgical errors, and lack of informed consent. The panel ultimately found Ziesmann breached multiple standards of practice.
A ‘Slap on the Wrist’ for Repeat Mistakes?
Despite the severity of these issues, Ziesmann received only a six-week suspension and was ordered to pay $34,000 in costs. For Drain and others, this feels like a “slap on the wrist.”
“The similarities between what happened to me and these newer cases are scary,” she said.
Calls for Change in Oversight and Accountability
Experts agree that the disciplinary process in Canada can feel opaque. Arthur Schafer, a bioethics professor, said that while the College may be acting behind the scenes, repeated issues should raise alarms about the monitoring process.
“The College has to prove itself trustworthy,”
Schafer emphasized, noting that patient safety should always be the priority.
Patient Wins in Rare Legal Victory
After her initial complaint was dismissed, Drain took legal action. In 2023, the Manitoba Court of King’s Bench ruled in her favour, finding that Ziesmann breached the standard of care. Legal experts note that while suing a doctor successfully is rare, it reflects how the regulatory process can leave patients feeling unsupported.
Is It Time to Rethink the System?
Health law professor Jacob Shelley argues that the complaint system should move away from a “patient versus physician” model.
“Patients suffer more when we fail to support them,”
he said, advocating for a greater focus on competence, training, and responsibility within the profession.
The Ziesmann case highlights how repeat issues can erode public trust in regulators. While early intervention and remediation are important, critics argue that stronger oversight and systemic change are needed—especially when the cost of inaction is patient harm.
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