E, 34-year-old female, underwent Brazilian Butt Lift on June 23, 2021, in Florida with lipectomy of the abdomen, flanks, full back, arms, inner thighs, fat transfer to hips, thighs, and gluteal area. Post-operatively, plastic surgeon follow-up documented concern for right flank liposuction burn, treated with PRP and medical therapy. After her recovery, she returned home to Michigan.
July 8, 2021, she presented to Henry Ford Hospital with complaint of left leg and buttock pain, redness, swelling along with fever and tachycardia. CT showed multiple fluid collections left inferior medial gluteus maximus and subcutaneous tissue left buttock extending to hamstring, consider ultrasound, thigh CT or MRI to evaluate extent. No additional imaging studies were performed. She was admitted and treated for left buttock abscesses and sepsis. Treatment included incision and drainage of abscess, wound care, and IV antibiotic therapy. July 12, 2021, she had an episode of severe, sharp chest pain, evaluated with EKG and troponin. She was discharged home on July 13, 2021, with oral antibiotics and home health care for wound care.
July 29, 2021, she collapsed at home, suffered cardiac arrest, and was transported via EMS to hospital for further medical management, but unfortunately, she did not survive. Autopsy concluded death was due to pneumonia due to gluteal abscess and sepsis with septic pulmonary thromboemboli. Curiously, records do not reflect that patient had any s/s of infection prior to her arrest.
Files:
Q: Did he have a CT chest on July 13?
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Q: Did he have a CT chest on July 13?
A: —
Do you believe there might have been medical error?
This is a case of a 34 year old woman who died from infectious complications of a lipoplasty procedure, with evident mismanagement throughout the case. There appears to be malpractice and poor surgical practice with the Brazilian buttlift. There appears to be inadequate diagnosis--imaging, perhaps surgical, it is hard to tell from this brief description-- and management of the infections--the limited information does not say what the microbiology was or antibiotics that were used, or if there was a PICC infection--all of which combined to lead to massive infected clots and death from embolization of these clots.
Do you believe there might have been causation (i.e. the medical error resulted in an injury)?
It seems that there was lack of proper diagnostics--imaging--, surgical drainage. I would need to know more about what microbiological results were obtained, and what was missing, what antimicrobial susceptibilities were, etc. I would need to know what the post-surgical followup was. There is a lot of missing information but on the face of it, this is a disaster that never should have happened but for poor medical and surgical care.
What makes you a good expert for this case?
I am a highly accomplished infectious disease expert with particular strengths in complex cases such the one described. I am expert in clinical practice and in microbiology. I write well and communicate clearly, and provide the attorney who retains me with frank, unvarnished and objective advice. I often see the opposing side fold when they see who the retaining attorney has retained. I have been an expert on some 30 cases over the past 15 or so years, half on plaintiff side, half on defendant. After I review cases, I provide a frank assessment of strengths and weaknesses to enable attorney to make cost-effective and advantageous decisions.
How often do you encounter cases similar to this one in your practice?
often--this is pretty standard stuff, this case is particularly notable for the bad outcome, I have seen probably 20-30 such cases in 20 years of practice--I practiced for 15+ years in San Diego, CA, where we saw a lot of disasters like this case.
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