SINGAPORE — A doctor who caused the death of a patient in a botched liposuction procedure was sentenced to six weeks in jail on Friday (Nov 18).
Zhu Xiu Chun, 59, also known as Myint Myint Kyi, pleaded guilty to one count of causing death by a negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide.
He was instructed by a fellow doctor, Wong Meng Hang, to overdose on the sedative propofol to a patient undergoing a liposuction procedure.
This led to the death of Franklin Property Management boss Heng Ang Tee, 44. He was the first victim here to come from cosmetic treatment.
Wong was earlier sentenced on June 16 to four months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of causing death by rash act not amounting to culpable homicide.
WHAT HAPPENED
At the time of the incident, Wong and Zhu were registered doctors at Reves Clinic, an aesthetic clinic that has since been renamed Yume Aesthetic & Medical Clinic.
On December 4, 2009, Heng visited the clinic for a consultation with Wong to undergo a type of liposuction procedure known as sound energy vibration enhancement in resonance-assisted liposuction (Vaser liposuction).
Without reviewing Heng’s medical records, Wong mistakenly assumed he had undergone the procedure in the past and deemed him fit for the procedure.
Wong chose to use propofol to sedate the patient, with Zhu assisting in the process.
However, the procedure could have been performed without the use of propofol, using only pethidine – a type of pain medication.
Propofol is a powerful sedative that can quickly stop breathing and cause blood pressure to drop.
It was the same that killed pop star Michael Jackson, who was given a large dose of propofol by a doctor to treat his chronic insomnia but left unattended.
Before performing the operation on December 30, 2009 at approximately 12.30 pm, Wong and Zhu had not undergone any special training on the administration of propofol.
In accordance with international guidelines at the time, hospitals in Singapore had adopted the practice of having a specialist nurse or doctor trained in the handling of sedatives who is solely focused on administering them during an operation.
Court documents showed Zhu did not know why propofol was used for the procedure and relied on Wong’s orders about the dose of propofol to be given to Heng.
During the entire procedure, the total dose of propofol given to Heng was more than 90 ml, which was considered excessive, putting him in a deep sedation state.
That was not necessary for such a proceeding, court documents state.
The couple also didn’t know that Heng had gone into a deep sedation state because they failed to monitor him properly.
When the liposuction procedure was over, the doctors left him around 4pm with an unregistered nurse.
Ten minutes later, Wong returned and realized that he couldn’t rouse Heng.
Even after oxygen was given to the patient, he had no pulse.
Wong then performed CPR on him.
An ambulance was called at 4.30pm and Heng was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 6pm.
cause of death
The hospital report indicated that Heng’s cause of death was multiple punctures of the intestines due to liposuction as well as an overdose of propofol.
An autopsy report from the Health Sciences Authority stated that aHeng was placed under deep sedation, his airway blocked, and he later died of suffocation.
Asphyxiation occurs when a person does not get enough oxygen, which can lead to unconsciousness or death.
Deputy public prosecutors Goh Qi Shuen, Kumaresan Gohulabalan and Andre Chong asked for a jail term of six to eight weeks.
“The perpetrator did not know or realize the consequences of administering propofol, did not appreciate the danger signs, and therefore did not take steps to ensure proper supervision and monitoring of the patient during and after the procedure,” they said.
For causing death by negligence, Zhu could have been jailed for up to two years or fined or both.
