A 19-year-old Colorado woman who was left in a coma for 14 months after a botched breast enhancement surgery has died.
Emmyalyn Nguyen underwent the surgery on August 1, 2019 at the office of Dr. Geoffrey Kim. According to reports, Nguyen went into cardiac arrest after being administered anesthesia.
Nguyen was resuscitated but didn’t regain consciousness. Dr. Kim later admitted he didn’t call 911 for help for about five hours. Attorney David Woodruff, attorney for Emmalyn’s parents, said:
“Emmalyn’s parents and siblings are heartbroken. This turn of events was sadly unexpected.”
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Woodruff added that the staff at Kim’s plastic surgery center allegedly performed CPR on Nguyen twice and waited five-and-a-half hours before calling 911. Her parents were not immediately told their daughter had gone into cardiac arrest, Woodruff alleged.
Woodruff said Nguyen was brain-injured and needed around-the-clock medical care. She was beginning to make some progress, was medically stable and even smiled at times.
But Nguyen developed severe pneumonia on October 2, which caused her to go into cardiac arrest. She was resuscitated but died two days later.
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Dr. Kim is on probation for three years after admitting to “unprofessional conduct” but is allowed to practice medicine with certain restrictions. The family has filed a lawsuit in the case. The nurse anesthetist, Rex Meeker, agreed to discontinue administering anesthesia but can continue practicing nursing.
Following Nguyen’s death, the lawsuit will now be a claim of wrongful death, Woodruff added:
“Medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States. Emmalyn’s parents believe it is important to tell Emmalyn’s story, not only to bring her some justice but also to help prevent this from ever happening to another patient.”
