2021 - 22-Year-Old Nursing Student Death During Facial Contouring Surgery

Incident Overview

A 22-year-old nursing student died during facial contouring surgery at a Gangnam clinic that advertised "12 years without accidents." The case revealed shocking practices including dual-patient operating rooms and unlicensed medical procedures.

Detailed Timeline

  • Year: 2021
  • Patient: A씨, female, 22 years old, nursing student
  • Location: Famous Gangnam plastic surgery clinic (name not disclosed)
  • Procedure: Facial contouring surgery (안면윤곽수술)
  • Outcome: Patient's face became stiff and fever spiked during surgery; transferred to university hospital but died 9 hours later

CCTV Footage Revelations

CCTV footage from the operating room revealed shocking practices:

  • Dual-patient operating room: Two operating tables in one room, separated only by a curtain, with two patients being operated on simultaneously
  • One anesthesiologist for two patients: A single anesthesiologist was monitoring two patients at the same time
  • False advertising: Clinic advertised that two anesthesiologists were always on staff, but they actually worked on alternating days
  • Unlicensed medical procedures: Nurses were performing suturing (봉합) - a procedure that should only be done by licensed doctors

Whistleblower Testimony

A former doctor who worked at the clinic stated: "Even skin excision was done entirely by nurses. All of the chief surgeon's finishing procedures were performed by nurses as proxies."

Pattern Identified

  • This case exemplifies the "factory-style surgery" (공장식 수술) problem in Korean plastic surgery
  • Clinic prioritized volume over patient safety
  • Multiple patients operated on simultaneously while maintaining a facade of individualized care

Important Disclaimer

This information is based on news reports. The specific clinic name was not disclosed in news reports. Legal proceedings may be ongoing.

Sources

  • 인사이트 (insight.co.kr) - "'12년 무사고'라고 홍보하더니 22살 여대생 수술 중 사망케 한 강남의 성형외과"
  • 직썰 (ziksir.com) - "'한 수술실 두 환자'에 '대리수술'까지…환자 사망 강남 성형외과 CCTV 영상"