A 45-year-old woman in Tainan, Taiwan, has died after falling into a coma shortly after receiving anaesthesia for an eyebag removal procedure, with her family questioning whether the clinic mishandled the emergency.
The woman, surnamed Lee, worked in property sales and visited a chain medical aesthetics clinic in Tainan on August 26 for the procedure.
According to her family, she had not even undergone the surgery when she suddenly became unresponsive about three minutes after receiving intravenous sedation.
“She hadn’t even started the surgery. She had only been given intravenous anaesthesia, the kind that puts you to sleep. Three minutes later, we were told something was wrong with her,” a family member said.
The clinic reportedly inserted a nasogastric tube and attempted to treat her condition before she was transferred to National Cheng Kung University Hospital. Her family claimed the transfer took more than two hours.
Doctors at the hospital found that Lee had suffered a perforated stomach accompanied by severe bleeding. She remained in hospital for 11 days but eventually died despite emergency treatment.
Her family questioned the clinic’s handling of the emergency, saying Lee had never previously experienced an allergic reaction to anaesthesia.
“She was someone who loved beauty and was happy to undergo this procedure. We were told they tried inserting the nasogastric tube five times and that emergency treatment was carried out, but the whole process took more than two hours,” the family said.
The family has since filed a complaint alleging negligent homicide and is seeking answers over what caused Lee’s sudden deterioration and whether the clinic’s treatment contributed to her death.
Police said relevant individuals had been asked to provide statements, with the case being referred for investigation on suspicion of negligent homicide.
Forensic pathologist Kao Ta-cheng said it would be difficult to determine the cause of the stomach perforation without further examination, noting that an autopsy could help establish what had happened.
The clinic, meanwhile, has appointed a lawyer to explain its handling of the emergency and denied failing to provide appropriate care.
The lawyer, Shih Chih-yuan, said that during the anaesthesia process, Lee developed abdominal swelling and discomfort. The surgeon and anaesthesia specialist nurse immediately stopped administering the anaesthetic and began emergency treatment, he said.
Tainan’s Department of Health has inspected the clinic following the incident. Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding Lee’s death and whether there was any medical negligence.
