In early August 2023, a Washington medical malpractice jury found that a cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Kristine Brecht, had performed a full-tummy tuck, arm-lift, breast-lift and liposuction cosmetic surgical procedures on a patient in July 2022 who was not properly screened before the procedures and who was a poor candidate for the surgeries. The medical malpractice lawsuit alleged that the defendant cosmetic surgeon failed to advise the patient before her surgeries regarding the risks of skin necrosis and failed to advise her to stop smoking to ensure proper healing.
The medical malpractice lawsuit further alleged that the surgeon removed too much skin that resulted in excessive scarring and failed to properly treat infections at the surgical sites and failed to otherwise provide appropriate post-surgical care, leading to devastating injuries.
The Washington medical malpractice jury awarded the patient $5 million for past damages and $6 million for future losses, and $2 million to her husband for his loss of consortium claim. In addition, the jury awarded $35,000 for the patient’s consumer fraud claim.
The same cosmetic surgeon reportedly performed an abdominoplasty and liposuction on a patient in her mid-50s in 2019 who was a poor risk for having the procedures using oral sedation. In that case, the surgeon reportedly failed to obtain an adequate medical history or perform an adequate physical examination of the patient. When the patient returned to the cosmetic surgeon three days after her procedures, she was experiencing difficulty breathing but the surgeon reportedly failed to provide supplemental oxygen or call for an ambulance. The patient died two days later. As a result, the surgeon was placed on probation and was prohibited from performing procedures requiring sedation without an anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist present.
On July 18, 2023, a panel of the Washington Medical Commission (WMC) entered Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law and Final Order (Final Order) against the license of Dr. Kristine Brecht (License #00044369).
The Final Order was entered after a two-day hearing was held in March 2023. The WMC hearing panel found Dr. Brecht did not comply with the previous order she had entered into with WMC that restricted her practice from performing any treatment that required sedation for the patient.
The Final Order imposes a five-year suspension on Dr. Brecht’s license. At the end of the five-year suspension, Dr. Brecht may apply to reinstate her license. At that time, in addition to other conditions, she must complete a multidisciplinary forensic assessment to determine fitness to practice and she must complete a pre-approved mini-residency or re-entry to practice program.
If you or a loved one have been injured as a result of cosmetic surgery malpractice in Washington or in another U.S. state, you should promptly find a Washington medical malpractice lawyer, or a medical malpractice lawyer in your state, who may investigate your cosmetic surgery medical malpractice claim for you and represent you or your loved one in a cosmetic surgery medical malpractice case, if appropriate.
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