In another case of fatality in cosmetic surgery, a Chinese woman died 10 days after she underwent multiple laser treatments to remove her birthmarks and spots.
The 27-year-old woman, whose surname is Liu, lived in Tianjin, which is a northern city in China.
According to the woman’s husband, she had various spots on her body and a lot of them were large in size and dark in colour.
The doctors had diagnosed Liu with neurofibromatosis and cafe-au-lait spots which made it important for her to go through multiple freckle removal procedures.
The woman went through nine laser treatments at Jinmen Dermatology Hospital in Tianjin and spent more than 100,000 yuan (US$14,000) for the same.
However, the doctors informed the woman that her symptoms had started worsening after the procedures.
It was revealed by the woman’s mother that Liu had stopped the treatment once because of severe pain which was caused by the anaesthetic’s uneven application.
While going through her 10th procedure on October 21, Liu faced dizziness after doctors applied anaesthetic cream.
Even though the cream was quickly removed by the doctors, the woman went into shock, faced convulsions and experienced cardiac arrest.
The doctors called emergency services and Liu was shifted to another hospital where she succumbed to her medical condition after 10 days.
It was reported by the emergency donors that Liu died after she suffered complications because of excessive intracranial pressure.
However, the husband of Liu suspected that the allergic reaction was triggered by an excessive amount of anaesthetic which led to her death.
The procedures were defended by the staff at Jinmen Dermatology Hospital who stated that the anaesthetic cream was applied following the standard protocols and the allergy tests were made available after request.
Hospital director Zhang expressed regret for the death of Liu and said, “We will take full responsibility if found at fault.”
Here’s how netizens reacted to the incident
The incident went viral on Chinese social media Weibo where it garnered 58 million views.
“If Liu hadn’t undergone the surgery, this tragedy might not have happened. Compared to health, beauty is insignificant,” commented one user.
“Café-au-lait spots do not just affect looks; they can significantly impact one’s mental health. Liu wasn’t wrong to seek treatment; the issue lies with the hospital,” wrote another user.
“Private clinics often lack safety and reliability. Surgeries should be performed in reputable public hospitals,” said a third user.
(With inputs from agencies)