The Board requires the anesthesiologist to be a board-certified physician licensed by the Board with no prior disciplinary history and no financial interest in Dr. Kims practice. "To me it's a miracle she pulled through all that and she is still fighting this. Based on my experience, outpatient surgery centers are generally not as prepared to handle emergencies, such as respiratory or cardiac arrest, then the hospital. / CBS Colorado. The anesthesia provider. Stay strong," whispers Fam. More concerned about the 911 call that apparently happened HOURS after the initial cardiac arrests. For more information, please see our Nurse anesthetist Rex Meeker, who was also involved in the case, is also facing a charge of reckless manslaughter. "It's really hard, it's not easy," said Fam. This almost seems like he cut a deal to testify and save himself. Her family says she has suffered severe brain damage and will likely remain in this condition for the rest of her life. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. of a He was booked on suspicion of two felonies, first-degree aggravated assault and criminally negligent homicide, and released. There was a firehouse in the same parking lot that could have provided help within moments. "In terms of the lawsuit filed against the plastic surgeon, Geoffrey Kim, M.D. She said her daughter, a graduate of Mountain Range High School, was healthy and had saved up for the $6,000 procedure, which many of her friends and family had undergone before. Through their attorney, Nguyens relatives released a statement saying that they hope the criminal case will bring forth an explanation and closure. On Wednesday, Dr. Geoffrey Kim, 52, a plastic surgeon, turned himself in to authorities accompanied by an attorney, according to the sheriffs office. Pure conjecture: young female, high vagal tone, predisposed to bradycardia, has profound hypotension leading to pulselessness at some point during anesthesia/surgery, CPR/ACLS is done, still minimally . During discovery in many cases, weve obtained emergency transfer agreements between outpatient surgery centers and hospitals. GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. A Greenwood Village plastic surgeon and former nurse anesthetist who now face charges in the 2020 death of a woman after she was given anesthesia for surgery gave conflicting stories about what happened and appeared to be blaming each other for what went wrong, an arrest affidavit says. In many cases we have handled, patients and family members have told us that they were unaware of who would be handling anesthesia care in the operating room. Fam says at one point an office staff member even approached her and gave her a reminder card setting up a follow up appointment. How on earth is the CRNA off the hook but the surgeon still on? Veteran investigative reporter Brian Maass has broken countless major stories at CBS News Colorado and established a high level of trust and credibility in the community. Shes young, shes healthy, shell be okay, its just taking her long to wake up, Nguyens mother, Lynn Fam, told CBS Denver. Anesthesiology. Lynn Fam tends to her daughter Emmalyn Nguyen. So all you hear Is the story the prosecutions atty wants you to hear. Maybe check out the canonical page instead: https://www.9news.com/article/news/crime/plastic-surgery-death-charges-dismissed/73-3aeaa2ce-bb0a-4b6b-a579-f0065afc3e5f, I'm a bot | Why & About | Summon: u/AmputatorBot. Incredibly, according to the Board order, the surgeon didnt call 911 for emergency personnel to transport the patient to the hospital following her systolic arrest for approximately five hours. "We still havent been able to get closure from Emmalyns death. He said Everything is fine, Emmalyn is fine, everything is good, Fam told KCNC, recalling what Kim told her. They explained that in anesthesiologist physician met with them before the procedure and there was no mention of the fact that the CRNA would be part of the team or, in fact, that the CRNA would be running the show anesthesia-wise in the operating room. If convicted, both could face significant prison time, 9NEWS legal expert Scott Robinson said. After a two-year investigation, Jeffrey his Dr. Kim surrendered earlier this week and was later released on a $5,000 bond. The lawsuit was filed in Boulder County Court against Dr. Geoffrey Kim and nurse anesthetist Rex Meeker, the pair who allegedly administered anesthesia before the surgery. In fact, after handling hundreds of medical negligence cases over my legal career, Ive only seen one physician face criminal prosecution and a prison sentence. Kim, who reportedly revived Nguyen after her first cardiac arrest, allegedly misled her family into thinking that everything is fine., He said everything is fine, Emmalyn is fine, everything is good. On January 9, 2020, the Colorado Medical Board suspended Dr. Kims medical license in an order that found objective and reasonable grounds to believe that he deliberately and willfully violated the Medical Practice Act and/or that the public health, safety, or welfare imperatively required emergency action. He served as the nurse anesthetist for Paula Harty, of Silverthorne, who was also undergoing a breast augmentation. Nguyen had gone to Kim at Colorado Aesthetic and Plastic Surgery for a breast augmentation on Aug. 1, 2019. 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 201 W Guadalupe Rd Ste 202. "We just want you to go home, we're all waiting for you, OK?". He may not be legally liable at this time, but it certainly looks like he shares at least some of the blame. At a minimum, I recommend that patients and families asked pointed questions about anesthesia staffing before procedure. Court records show Kim's Colorado medical license was briefly suspended in January 2020, as a result of the incident involving Nguyen. That same document though says that a 911 call was not made until 7:35 p.m. and Nguyen never regained consciousness. Featured Image via Emmalyn Nguyen's family (left) and CBS Denver (right). The lawsuit alleges negligence and contends that during that initial timeframe, Nguyen went into cardiac arrest and was revived when Dr. Kim performed CPR. Meeker is facing a manslaughter charge in . CPR performed several times. Anesthesiologists take care of you before, during and after your surgery. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. This tragic case illustrates some common themes that Ive written about over the years, based on my experience in handling medical negligence and wrongful death cases. According to the Board, with 15 minutes of the injection, the CRNA noticed cyanosis (blue color) on the patient that quickly spread to her arms, hands, and torso. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Get a bachelor's degree. Robert Painter is an award-winning medical malpractice attorney at Painter Law Firm PLLC, in Houston, Texas. Nguyens familys lawyer, David Woodruff, alleged that nurse Rex Meeker had left the then-18-year-old unattended for 15 minutes after administering the anesthesia. ", Emmalyn Nguyen, left, was 18 when she went into a coma and died after saving up thousands of dollars for breast implants from Dr. Geoffrey Kim. 2,924. Additional Locations. Nguyen remained in a vegetative state prior to her death in October 2020. Cookie Notice (2) A registered nurse who is qualified by special training to administer anesthesia in collaboration with a physician or dentist and who can assist in the care of patients who are in critical condition. Dr. Geoffrey Kim and nurse anesthetist Rex Meeker are accused of failing to call 911 for nearly 5 hours after Emmalyn Nguyens heart stopped on Aug. 1. Its always slanted and rarely about the evidence. Last year, he and Meeker agreed to pay $1 million each to Nguyens family in, Featured Image via Emmalyn Nguyen's family (left) and, A woman threw a house party with 65 men she matched with on Tinder and Hinge and connected with the man she's been dating for a year. Dr. Francis Brusino is an anesthesiologist in Raleigh, NC, and is affiliated with multiple hospitals including UNC Rex Hospital . There has to be some absurdly exceptional circumstances to make this not stink. The anesthesia provider involved, Rex Meeker, became a registered nurse in 1984 and certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) in 1995. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Hopefully bringing criminal charges will bring out the truth about what happened and will bring justice for Emmalyn.". There are very few criminal cases filed against surgeons for botched operations and it tells us there is something more going on here than just mere negligence, said 9NEWS legal expert Scott Robinson. This time, its plastic surgeon Geoffrey Kim, MD, who was scheduled to perform an elective breast augmentation procedure. They ruined Emmalyn's life, not just hers but all of ours. Questions 216.444.9134. Story tips can be sent to michael.ruiz@fox.com and on Twitter: @mikerreports, Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. All rights reserved. Last year, he and Meeker agreed to pay $1 million each to Nguyens family in a civil settlement, as per CBS Denver. I don't know how they can sleep at night knowing they did this to her. According to media reports and the lawsuit, the CRNA administered nine doses of Narcan. In a . The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office said on Wednesday that they obtained arrest warrants for Dr. Geoffrey Kim, 52, and former nurse anesthetist Rex Meeker in connection with the death of 18-year-old Emmalyn Nguyen. GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. (CBS4) - CBS4 has learned that criminal charges have been filed against a prominent plastic surgeon and an anesthetist who were involved in the 2019 breast augmentation surgery on 18-year-old Emmalyn Nguyen, who died following breast implant surgery. Sun City, AZ 85375. Kim also is being investigated as a suspect in the death of Nguyen. At one point, Kim came out to the waiting room and also told Nguyen's mother she was "fine" but said it was taking longer than expected for her to wake up, the affidavit says. Lafayette, CO 80026 (Boulder County). You may have heard of that surgeon being called Dr. Death in podcasts and on a TV show. A warrant has likewise been issued for his arrest, though he is not yet in custody. The defense cannot speak out. "But the worst thing is she . The procedure took place at Kim's Greenwood Village office, Colorado Aesthetics and Plastic Surgery. Shes young, shes healthy, shell be okay, its just taking her long to wake up, Nguyens mother, Lynn Fam, told, Nguyen remained in a vegetative state prior to her. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. We still haven't been able to get closure from Emmalyn's death. February 17, 2022 / 11:59 PM Our hope is that this will be the beginning of bringing justice and a sense of closure to Emmalyn's family.". 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