North Carolina moms who are considering having a laser liposuction procedure might want to rethink their decision after they hear about how one mother’s procedure turned out. A 26-year-old mother from the Bronx ended up severely scarred and deformed after the OB/GYN scorched her with the laser during the procedure. After the incident occurred, the OB/GYN allegedly tried to prevent the woman from going to the hospital to receive treatment for the burns.
The woman went in to have the procedure done in Dec. 2011, three months after her son was born. The procedure is supposed to be minimally invasive, in which a long prong is inserted into a patient’s skin to burn fat cells with a laser. Some patients prefer the procedure to traditional liposuction because it offers a faster healing time. After the procedure was performed, the woman complained of swelling in the area and intense pain. Consequently, the doctor ended up facing a medical malpractice lawsuit from the woman.
The doctor had allegedly been interrupted at least once during the woman’s procedure, one time to pay for a Chinese food order. After complaining of the pain from the procedure, the doctor gave her cream to apply to the area twice a day and assured her they were not burns. However, a few days later she ended up passing out from the pain. She spoke with him on the phone, and he told her to come to his office instead of going to a hospital. When she arrived, he gave her more cream. She eventually sought a second opinion and was sent to a hospital for treatment of the burns and skin grafting.
With the assistance of a medical malpractice attorney, the woman is seeking compensation for her injury. Her attorney might be able to help her negotiate a settlement for her claim.
Source: NY Daily News, “EXCLUSIVE: Manhattan OB/GYN scorches patient with lipo laser — sued for malpractice“, Joe Kemp, October 16, 2013