Expert characteristic of fatal outcomes related to operative interventions in aesthetic plastic surgery

Abstract

Is to investigate fatal outcomes related to operative interventions in aesthetic plastic surgery for the period from 2010 to 2022 yrs., and to analyze the defects in health care delivery (DHCD), revealed during forensic medical examinations of fatal outcomes. The number of fatal outcomes equal 36, related to operative interventions in aesthetic plastic surgery, was analyzed. The data were collected from the expert's archival opinions (forensic medical examinations of corpse, commission forensic medical examinations based on materials of medical cases and expert opinions), and from judicial acts. The most frequent cause of death (19% of cases) was postoperative development of pulmonary artery thromboembolia, that requires further screening to assess the relationship between denoted reason and type of performed operative intervention as well as the use of anticoagulant therapy. In addition, 19% of the causes of death were related to the toxic lidocaine effects, that shows the necessity of strict control while using anaesthesia during operative interventions. During the forensic medical examination in 55.5% of cases were found the defects in health care delivery (DHCD), with an average of about two DHCD cases. Cause-effect relationship between identified drawbacks of health care delivery and fatal outcome was established in 18 (90%) of the 20 cases. Among them, the DHCD, which are extremely rare in other types of surgical specialty (health care delivery in an inappropriate place and by unqualified persons), were reliably determined in 30% of cases. The necessity of strict control by the relevant competent organizations in health care delivery for plastic surgery specialty, the need for a single system collection of information about fatal cases, associated with operative interventions in aesthetic plastic surgery, and the study of fatality structure and causes in this field were proved. The above mentioned will make it possible to develop unified approaches for the commission forensic medical examinations in this type of cases, and will also contribute to the fatal outcomes' prevention.