A 27-year-old woman died after undergoing a series of cosmetic procedures to remove her freckles at a hospital in Tianjin, China.
The woman, known only as Ms Liu, died on Oct 31, 10 days after receiving her 10th laser treatment at Jinmen Dermatology Hospital, reported Chinese media outlets. She reportedly underwent the previous session in May 2023.
After the doctor applied anaesthetic cream on her on Oct 21, Ms Liu experienced dizziness and soon fell into a coma. She then went into shock and suffered cardiac arrest.
Ms Liu was subsequently transferred to the intensive care unit at Tianjin Medical University for emergency care.
The medical university said Ms Liu’s death was caused by brain herniation, which occurs when high pressure in the skull causes the protrusion of brain tissue, reported newspaper Jinan Times.
A nurse from the Jinmen Dermatology Hospital told Chinese media outlet Modern Express that Ms Liu had neurofibromatosis, a genetic condition which may cause light-brown flat patches of skin. She had been receiving treatment at the private hospital since 2020.
Ms Liu’s husband said that his wife had numerous birthmarks on her body, some of which were dark and large. She had forked out more than 100,000 yuan (S$18,600) for treatment to remove them.
He said he suspected that the overuse of anaesthetic was the reason for her death.
“We can’t let her go without an explanation. We must find out the cause of her death and hope that our misfortune serves as a warning to others,” he said in Mandarin.
According to Ms Liu’s mother, who accompanied her to her treatment sessions, her daughter had stopped the sessions several times due to unbearable pain.
Her family has sent her body for an autopsy, and the health authorities are investigating the incident.
The hospital’s deputy director expressed regret over Ms Liu’s death, and said the hospital will bear responsibility if it is proven that it is at fault.
If medical professionals in China are found guilty of causing a patient’s death through negligence, they may be jailed for up to three years in prison and fined.
