Chinese Patient Dies After Liposuction Surgery at Gangnam Plastic Surgery Clinic... Police Investigation Underway

Complaints of Severe Pain After Three Surgeries
Hospital Submits Records Claiming Appropriate Response

A woman in her 20s from China who underwent liposuction at a plastic surgery clinic in Gangnam, Seoul, died about a month after the surgery, prompting the police to launch an investigation.

The Gangnam Police Station in Seoul announced on the 18th that they plan to perform an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death and will continue the investigation by checking whether there was a closed-circuit television (CCTV) in the operating room.

Earlier, the Chinese woman, Ms. A, underwent liposuction three times at a plastic surgery clinic in Gangnam last November, targeting her abdomen, arms, and thighs at one-week intervals. A few days later, she complained of severe pain and was transferred to a university hospital. At the university hospital, she was diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis that worsened into sepsis and received treatment for a month but ultimately passed away on the 10th. The bereaved family filed a complaint with the police against the plastic surgery clinic on charges of professional negligence causing death, claiming that appropriate measures were not taken despite the patient’s complaints of pain, which eventually led to her death.

In particular, Ms. A’s side told SBS that the day after the third surgery, she found it difficult to move due to pain at the surgical site and went to the hospital to request hospitalization. They also claimed that the hospital applied ice packs in the recovery room and administered antibiotic injections, but the medical staff left work around 10 p.m., leaving only Ms. A and her caregiver behind. It is reported that after that night, Ms. A’s condition worsened, and she was transferred to the university hospital the next day following a 119 emergency call by her caregiver.

The bereaved family expressed outrage, saying that Ms. A regained consciousness just before her death and said, "It hurts so much."

The hospital is reportedly not making any particular statements. However, the medical records submitted by the hospital to the family reportedly state that after Ms. Hwang received the third surgery, the hospital provided appropriate treatment the next day, and her symptoms improved. It also notes that a blood test was planned to check for inflammation, but the patient did not cooperate, causing a delay in blood collection.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.