You trust them with your appearance, your health, and, even your life. But, the doctor you trusted in surgery may not have been qualified to do the operation? An outrageous claim? It would be if it weren't true. News Specialist Craig Wall, joins us now. Craig, what kind of surgeries are being done by under-qualified doctors?

Just about any form of plastic surgery, including face lifts, tummy tucks, nose jobs and lipo-suction. How is this possible? There is no regulation on what kinds of operations doctors can perform. So in some cases you have doctors taking weekend courses and then vying for your cosmetic surgery dollars.

Retta Alexander just wanted to get rid of facial wrinkles--she wanted to look as young as she feels. But this 64 year old grandmother is now scarred for life... physically and emotionally.

((RETTA ALEXANDER, VICTIM: "THE DOCTOR ASSURED ME I WOULD HEAL, OH THIS IS GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT, WITHIN THREE WEEKS YOU'LL BE A NEW PERSON. WITHIN THREE WEEKS I WAS ALMOST DEAD."))

How did this happen? An opthomologist, an eye doctor, decided he wanted to get into exodermology--a procedure that uses acid to remove wrinkles. His promotional flyer touted incredible success stories. The problem: He apparently didn't know what he was doing.

((RETTA ALEXANDER, VICTIM: "I CAN'T EVEN RELATE TO YOU HOW MANY NIGHTS I WALKED THE FLOOR AND CRIED WITH PAIN."))

((DR. DAVID CLAYTON, PLASTIC SURGEON: "THE CONCERN THAT WE HAVE IS THAT PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T HAD THE REQUESITE TRAINING TO DEAL WITH ALL THE ISSUES OF PLASTIC SURGERY ARE GOING AWAY TO WEEKEND COURSES AND COMING BACK AND TRYING TO DO COSMETIC SURGERY."))

All you have to do is flip through the yellow pages and you'll see how popular cosmetic surgery has become. Cosmetic and plastic surgery procedures that not too long ago used to be performed by board certified plastic surgeons or a few other specialties are now available from all kinds of doctors.

Some may have the training, but many others are just cashing in. And there's no law against it. There's also no regulation in Utah or most other states, covering how doctors advertise their services.

((DR. DAVID CLAYTON, PLASTIC SURGEON: "I HAVE SEEN SOME PROMOTIONS, SOME ADVERTISING WHERE A DOCTOR CLAIMS TO HAVE SPECIAL CERTIFICATION IN LASER SURGERY FOR EXAMPLE AND WHEN YOU LOOK INTO IF FURTHER, IT'S ONLY BECAUSE HE'S BEEN TO A WEEKEND COURSE."))

Retta Alexander believes her chin and neck are scarred because her doctor received minimal training before applying acid to her face.

(("HOW COULD A DOCTOR THAT DOESN'T REALLY EVEN KNOW WHAT HE'S DOING, EVEN DO A PROCEDURE LIKE THIS? She sighs, FOR MONEY. THAT'S ALL IT WAS ABOUT."))

((DR. ANDY HINES, PLASTIC SURGEON: "THIS CAN BE IN THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS A YEAR, WITHOUT QUESTION. IF SOMEBODY WAS GOOD ENOUGH ABOUT MARKETING, A MILLION DOLLARS."))

So, how do you know if a doctor is qualified to perform a cosmetic or plastic surgery procedure? Do your homework. Tomorrow night at Ten we'll tell you what to look for and what to look out for.