A woman suffered from brain damage just weeks before her wedding after a cosmetic surgery procedure that went horribly wrong.
The doctor who performed the surgery has been charged with medical malpractice. It has now been revealed that this is not the first time that she was accused of it.
Woman Suffers Brain Damage From Cosmetic Surgery
Cosmetic surgery dangers have seen their fair share of discussion, but permanent brain damage is usually not on that list. Unfortunately for a woman from Georgia, that is exactly what happened to her.
Icilma Cornelius, 54 years old, consulted with Dr. Windell Boutte in her medical spa and cosmetic surgery center in Lilburn, Georgia. Cornelius wanted Botox and another anti-wrinkle treatment in preparation for her upcoming wedding, but she was convinced to also get a liposuction.
However, eight hours into surgery, Cornelius's heart stopped. The office was not properly equipped to handle such an emergency and had to call 911. Paramedics were able to get her heart going again, but they were delayed in getting Cornelius to the ambulance. Boutte and an employee had to suture Cornelius' skin to prevent infections on open incisions, and the stretcher had to be carried down the stairs because it did not fit the elevator.
Cornelius was able to make it to the hospital, but the damage was massive. Due to the lack of oxygen, she suffered permanent brain damage.
Choose Your Doctors Wisely
Ojay Liburd, 26 years old, filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against Boutte in behalf of his mother.
"She just wanted to be perfect for her wedding dress," Liburd said to WSB-TV's consumer investigator Jim Strickland. "She had everything going for her."
This was not the first lawsuit filed against Boutte, though. This is the fourth pending lawsuit against the doctor in addition to five medical malpractice settlements.
In the lawsuits, Boutte was accused of cutting corners, hiring unqualified staff, misleading customers on the surgeries that they are signing up for, and performing operations in offices that are unsafe for the procedures. Boutte has even uploaded videos of her dancing to music while operating on her patients.
Medical Malpractice Surgery Cases
Recent amazing surgery stories include the soldier who had her lost ear replaced by a new one grown on her arm, and the removal of a 132-pound ovarian tumor to save a woman's life. However, for each one of them, there appears to be a medical malpractice story, such as the woman who was embalmed alive and the sterilization breach that placed patients of a Denver hospital at risk of diseases.
Fraud in cosmetic surgery is rampant because the procedures are paid in cash and are not covered by insurance. If you are thinking of getting an operation done soon, it would be best to thoroughly check the background and history of your doctor.
