Dr. Sammy Sliwin, a Toronto plastic surgeon whose career spanned decades in cosmetic surgery and regenerative medicine before ending in one of Canada’s most closely watched medical disciplinary cases, has died on August 2, 2026. He was approximately 70 years old.
His death marks the end of a career remembered for both significant medical innovation and a landmark professional misconduct case that reshaped discussions around physician-patient boundaries in Canada.
A graduate of the University of Toronto in 1980, Dr. Sliwin became certified in Plastic Surgery by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in 1986. He established himself as one of Toronto’s best-known cosmetic surgeons and served as Medical Director of the Forest Hill Institute of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Over the years, he developed a reputation for performing a wide range of aesthetic procedures and embraced emerging techniques in fat grafting and reconstructive surgery.
Beyond cosmetic surgery, Dr. Sliwin was widely recognized for his interest in regenerative medicine. He founded AdiSave, a Canadian stem cell banking company focused on harvesting and preserving stem cells derived from adipose (fat) tissue. He advocated for the future potential of adipose-derived stem cells in treating injuries and degenerative conditions, believing the technology would play an increasingly important role in modern medicine.
Despite these professional accomplishments, Dr. Sliwin’s career became defined by disciplinary proceedings that ultimately led to the loss of his medical licence.
The case centered on a woman identified only as “Ms. A,” whose identity remains protected under a publication ban. According to findings by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, Dr. Sliwin performed multiple cosmetic procedures on the patient over several years while engaging in an intermittent sexual relationship between 2001 and 2007.
In 2013, the College’s Discipline Committee found him guilty of professional misconduct and sexual abuse of a patient, concluding that he had failed to maintain appropriate professional boundaries. Under Ontario law, the finding required mandatory revocation of his licence.
Dr. Sliwin challenged the decision through the courts, arguing that the mandatory penalty was unconstitutional. Represented by lawyer Marie Henein, he appealed the revocation, but the Ontario Divisional Court dismissed the appeal in 2017. In its decision, the court reaffirmed that physicians are prohibited from engaging in sexual relationships with current patients, emphasizing the inherent power imbalance within the physician-patient relationship.
The ruling became an important legal precedent reinforcing patient protection and professional ethics within the medical profession.
Dr. Sliwin’s life and career remain a study in contrasts. He was regarded by many as an innovative surgeon who contributed to advances in cosmetic and regenerative medicine while also becoming the subject of one of Ontario’s most significant medical disciplinary cases. His story continues to be referenced in discussions surrounding professional ethics, patient safety, and physician accountability.
He is survived by his family, who are mourning his passing privately.
As colleagues, former patients, and members of the medical community reflect on his life, Dr. Sammy Sliwin leaves behind a complex legacy—one that includes notable contributions to plastic surgery and stem cell research, alongside enduring lessons about the importance of maintaining professional boundaries and preserving the trust that lies at the heart of the physician-patient relationship.