How Breast Surgery Killed A Florida Teen

...What we know, so far, is that the 18-year old Florida patient developed the very rare complication of general anesthesia, malignant hyperthermia, literally "dangerous elevated temperature". .

...GA is the predominant choice of anesthesia cosmetic surgery, so her surgeon was within the ‘standard of practice’ in that choice – expedience over outcomes.

Unfortunately, GA or the ‘standard of practice’ includes many unnecessary, avoidable and potentially fatal risks to patients choosing to have surgery that has no medical reason or indication.

Among those avoidable risks are MH, blood clots to the lungs, airway mishaps leading to lack of oxygen to the patient’s brain, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), and postoperative cognitive disorder (POCD).

All of these risks can and should be avoided by having surgeons and patients choose a kinder, gentler anesthetic technique – propofol ketamine or minimally invasive anesthesia (MIA)® pioneered by Friedberg.

Neither propofol nor ketamine are triggering agents for MH. Had Ms. Kubela received MIA, she would likely be alive today. BIS monitoring of the patient’s brain gives a numerical value of propofol sedation at which ketamine can be given without negative side effects...