PA: Doc and anesthetist found liable after complications claim life of teen

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · May 31, 2008

The link doesn't work.

Fixed. Karen

elkpark · Jun 1, 2008

It (the link) worked for me ...

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Jun 1, 2008

Thanks.

I don't know what to think. But if she died as the result of an embolism how could either of them have avoided that?

allnurses Guide · Jun 1, 2008

19 yo 5 feet 5 and 128 pounds college freshman gets liposuction "as couldn't lose the fat around her stomach and chin. So in May 2001, she and her mom consulted Glunk, who said that such "genetic fat" could be removed only through surgery"...which was done in doctors office NOT approved as ambulatory care center per PA state law --- and dies as result fat embolism. Karen
Posted on Sat, May. 24, 2008
Doc slammed with $20.5 million in damages after lipo death
Montco doc, anesthetist found liable after complications claim life of teen
By WILLIAM BENDER
http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/19231499.html

I looked at several different news stories, but there just isn't enough information to make informed decision either way. Twenty-million dollars sounds outrageous especially from a family that states they weren't in it for the money.

imenid37 · Jun 1, 2008

Heaven forbid the child of a special ed teacher (mom's occupation) be less than perfect!. You know this was just a young girl who was probably overly concerned w/ her appearance just like my 3 daughters are. Mom and dad paid for this procedure and a doc trying to make $ playing on vanity performed it. If doc broke the law by performing a surgery in an office setting that was prohibited, then he deserves to be sanctioned by the state medical board. If the girl sufferred a fat embolism, then that really was not his fault. The whole issue of a totally unnecessary elective surgery being performed is a whole issue in and of itself. Sometimes vanity has a terrible price for the poor and very rare person who suffers a complication. Why the heck did mom and dad pay for this procedure on a perfectly healthy young girl? They deserve symapthy for their poor judgement but no money.

imenid37 · Jun 1, 2008

I saw a picture of the girl on the nbc10 website. She was attractive, maybe not Ms. America, but a nice looking girl. Again, I am just floored that anyone would pay for surgery to correct her face and body which looked fine or be greedy enough to take money for the unneccessary surgery.

czyja, MSN, RN · Jun 1, 2008

Why the heck did mom and dad pay for this procedure on a perfectly healthy young girl? They deserve symapthy for their poor judgement but no money.

And why the heck did the doctor perform the procedure on a perfectly healthy girl. Frankly both the doc and parents should pay - in a just world the money would fund plastic surgery on girls that have been disfiguered by assualt and land mines.

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Jun 1, 2008

interesting....

law.com - jury awards $20.5 million for fatal liposuction

a five-week trial was held in front of philadelphia common pleas judge sheldon c. jelin. the jury deliberated for close to 2 1/2 days.
according to the plaintiffs' pre-trial memorandum, a blood vessel in amy fledderman's neck was severed during the liposuction, and she was administered medication to which she was allergic. despite a respiratory emergency, the plaintiffs' memorandum alleged, glunk and destefano kept fledderman in glunk's office for 2 1/2 hours and did not call an ambulance until she was on the verge of death, including appearing cyanotic, or blue, and her oxygen levels had dropped from the normal high 90s to the 60s.
fledderman died two days later as she was being transferred from montgomery hospital to the hospital of the university of pennsylvania, the plaintiffs' memorandum said.
the plaintiffs' memorandum said fledderman had an agonizing death and spent the 24 hours before dying in severe pain, intubated and vomiting blood.
"dr. glunk and his staff engaged in a massive cover-up, lying to the pennsylvania department of state investigators, to the pennsylvania department of health investigators, and to detectives from the montgomery county district attorney's office," the plaintiffs' memorandum alleged. "it was not until the civil suit, during pointed questioning of witnesses by plaintiffs' counsel, that the truth was finally drawn from under the rock where dr. glunk and his staff had attempted to hide it.
glunk's liposuction privileges had been restricted at main line health hospitals, and he was required to be under the supervision of another liposuction surgeon, according to the plaintiffs' memorandum. glunk's king of prussia, pa., office was not licensed by the pennsylvania department of health, the plaintiffs' memorandum said.
glunk's pretrial defense memorandum said that fledderman had a rough emergence from anesthesia, resulting in short breathing. glunk's memorandum said glunk and his staff monitored her until her breathing decreased even more, and an ambulance needed to be summoned. glunk then argued that fledderman was intubated incorrectly by paramedic samuel paolella of the lafayette ambulance and rescue squad during her transportation to montgomery hospital, causing her oxygen saturation to decline to 64 percent.
mclaughlin said that glunk changed his theory of the case just before trial from blaming the ambulance squad to saying that an unavoidable medical problem -- a fat embolism during the liposuction procedure -- caused fledderman's death.
destefano also argued in his pre-trial defense memorandum that a fat embolism had caused fledderman's death.
"unfortunately, the plaintiff developed a rare, but recognized complication of the liposuction procedure -- fat emboli, that led to her death," destefano's memorandum said."

oramar · Jun 1, 2008

What in the world was that woman doing dragging her perfectly healthy child to surgeon for unnecessary treatment. A lot of young people have body image problems. I happen to think this condition can't be cured by a surgeon.

oramar · Jun 1, 2008

So this poor medic, tries to save this poor girl who was a victum of this surgeon's imcompentence and then surgeon then tries to push the blame off on the medic. From all the nurses who have ever born the brunt when an MD was trying to duck the blame for his/her own incompetence to that poor medic, We FEEL for you.

allnurses Guide · Jun 1, 2008

interesting....
law.com - jury awards $20.5 million for fatal liposuction

unfortunately, this is just one of those he said she said things, and it is hard to make decision one way or another. from what i read the md's practice wasn't required to be licensed as an ambulatory surgical center d/t the type of procedures performed although the surgeon did later obtain it "to prove that his practice was safe". the state did not find support for criminal negligence.

just a thought: why are these trial never tried by jury of your true peers vs. nonmedical persons? we could prevent a lot medical malpractice claims if we simplified provided unbiased medical experts as a significant part of the jury.