A woman from Washington received millions over her legal battle against a plastic surgeon. The court decided that the expert failed to warn the diabetic patient about the risk of necrosis due to her condition.
Diabetic Woman Left With Necrosis After Botched Plastic Surgery
A woman from Washington State who had multiple unsuccessful plastic procedures was awarded $13 million in a lawsuit. According to a statement from the patient's attorneys, Nasra Elmi underwent numerous cosmetic surgeries despite being a poor candidate for the procedures due to her diabetes, which resulted in serious complications, Newsweek reported.
Elmi underwent a full stomach tuck, arm lift, and breast lift over two days with Kristine Brecht, a cosmetic surgeon at the "exclusive surgical office" Aesthetic Rejuvenation & Spa.
In the days following the operation, Elmi's stomach and arm skin developed necrosis due to infections, as shown by photos of her wounds in the lawsuit declaration. The lawsuit claims that the procedures resulted in significant scarring on the patient because too much skin was removed.
Furthermore, the lawsuit claims that Brecht's use of an oral sedative cocktail during the procedure-which included oxycodone and lorazepam instead of general anesthesia, caused the patient to lose memory. According to the lawsuit, additional patients were restrained using weights and handcuffs during the operation.
In addition, Brecht discharged the patient 30 minutes after the operation and only monitored her vital signs every 15 minutes rather than the recommended 3- to 5-minute intervals.
After the procedure, when the patient expressed worries about her healing and scars, Brecht allegedly responded by telling her that her "unique" skin and "innate" healing problems were to blame and that she was just a "slow healer."
According to the lawsuit, Brecht failed to screen the patient for diabetes control, advise that diabetes increased her risk of skin necrosis and poor healing, or address post-operative infections at the surgical sites.
The jury gave Elmi a verdict of more than $13 million, which included $5 million for past losses and $6 million for prospective ones. Additionally, Brecht's license was suspended.
Elmi told the B-town Blog that people judge and don't understand the pain you are going through, and she was afraid they would blame her for what happened. She was extremely appreciative to the jury and her legal team for their help and glad that justice had finally been done due to their verdict.
Elmi claimed that Dr. Brecht had no regrets, but the verdict made her feel she could move forward and put that chapter behind her. However, she wanted to ensure that Dr. Brecht would not be able to practice again and that "she cannot go out and butcher someone else."
Diabetes and Surgery
Diabetes can cause impaired circulation, which reduces blood flow to the extremities and other body areas. This may result in a reduced immune response and poorer healing, which makes it simpler for infections to spread to wounds.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), roughly 73,000 amputations of the lower limb not related to trauma are performed on diabetics in the U.S. each year. This is because non-healing sores or ulcers frequently need people with diabetes to have their toes or feet removed.
If you have diabetes issues, surgery is risky, per MedlinePlus. Therefore, discuss your diabetes management and any difficulties with your healthcare professional. Any heart, kidney, eye, or loss of sensation in your feet problems should be brought up with your healthcare physician. To determine the status of specific issues, some tests may be necessary.
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