Kochi: The High Court has directed the state police to hand over a case to the crime branch special investigation team for a medical negligence case about a complex cosmetic procedure that was performed on a 31-year-old woman, who faced critical complications after the surgery.
According to the reports, the woman worked as a software professional, and she got a few cosmetic surgeries from a daycare hospital at Kazhakootam in Thiruvananthapuram.
A bench of Justice G. Girish has asked the SIT to complete the investigation within six months. The woman petitioned the court to transfer her case, originally registered at the Thumba police station, to a crime branch SIT.
According to the reports, on February 22, 2025, the woman underwent several cosmetic surgeries at the daycare hospital, such as 360 Degree Vaser Liposuction with Abdominoplasty combined with Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) and Hip Dip Correction.
However, just a few hours after her discharge from the hospital the next day, she started to feel dizzy, developed very low blood pressure, vomiting and abdominal pain.
According to the reports, when she contacted the hospital, she was told that there was no doctor available as it was a Sunday. The staff on the call suggested she consume salted rice water and asked her to visit the hospital the next day.
On February 24, 2025, she visited the hospital, and the doctors found that her blood pressure was abnormally low. She was given an IV and had to undergo a blood transfusion on the same day before being transferred to another hospital in the evening as her health kept deteriorating.
According to the investigators, the woman had suffered a cardiac arrest while reaching the hospital. It was revealed that she suffered septic shock caused by a Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterial infection, along with kidney failure.
The doctors were able to save her life, but the complainant developed gangrene, resulting in the surgical amputation of four fingers of her left hand and five toes of her left foot, alongside other severe health complications.
She alleged that due to the post-surgical consequences, she has been deprived of her livelihood and also has to make a career shift from the software industry.
The court observed that the hospital was only registered as a daycare centre and was not well equipped for carrying out complex cosmetic surgeries.
The court also noted that by performing such procedures in the hospital, the facility has violated certain medical protocols regarding patient safety, health and well-being.
The bench transferred the investigation to an SIT and directed it to determine whether any plastic surgeon would attempt such a complex procedure in a day surgery facility.
(Rh/ARC)
