(CBS4) - A Thornton family has filed a lawsuit against a prominent doctor and a nurse anesthetist saying after their daughter suffered two cardiac arrests and brain damage during cosmetic surgery, the medical professionals overseeing her care did not call 911 for more than five hours. A call and email to an attorney believed to be representing Meeker were also not returned. a degree In fact, after handling hundreds of medical negligence cases over my legal career, Ive only seen one physician face criminal prosecution and a prison sentence. ", "The judicial system cannot bring Emmalyn back, but what it can do is punish the people who caused her death and send a message to the entire medical community that doctors and nurses will be held to the same standard as other people. in October 2020. An ambulance was sent and Nguyen was transported to Littleton Adventist Hospital. She told CBS4 that at one point Dr. Kim told her "Everything went fine, the only thing is we didn't proceed with the procedure because her heart rate dropped but she is fine. During discovery in many cases, weve obtained emergency transfer agreements between outpatient surgery centers and hospitals. A Colorado plastic surgeon is facing charges stemming from the death of an 18-year-old patient following a breast augmentation procedure in 2019. State medical records show Kim has had no previous disciplinary actions against his medical license. (credit: CBS). Deputies said Nguyen went in for a surgical procedure at Colorado Aesthetic and Plastic Surgery on Aug. 1, 2019, and went into cardiac arrest after being administered anesthesia. Education. since February 11, 2007, He was charged with criminally negligent homicide and first-degree aggravated assault, both categorized as felonies. Hopefully bringing criminal charges will bring out the truth about what happened and will bring justice for Emmalyn. Kim, who turned himself in with his attorney, was also released after posting a $5,000 bond. Rex Meeker, the nurse anesthetist who gave Emmalyn the anesthesia, eventually called paramedics, court docs allege. FDA CALLS FOR HIGHLIGHTED BREAST IMPLANT WARNINGS, PATIENT CHECKLIST, "The treatment for a brain injury is to cool the brain within 6 hours to reduce swelling," Woodruff said. Her mother reported that she was never told CPR was performed and said the first time she heard that was from a nurse at the hospital, the document says. The document goes on to say that Nguyen was given nine separate doses of anesthetic reversal agents, including Narcan, over a one-hour period. Lynn Fam tends to her daughter Emmalyn Nguyen. As a patient, you may be comfortable with the training and competence of a CRNA. Dr. Geoffrey Kim and nurse anesthetist Rex Meeker face criminal charges in the death of Emmalyn Nguyen, who went into a coma on Aug. 1, 2019 and died 14 months later in October 2020. Nguyen remained in a vegetative state prior to her death in October 2020. The second nurse found her with her face turned blue and in cardiac arrest. The teen was reportedly taken to a nearby hospital - but she was transferred to a rehab hospital to recover 22 days later. CPR performed several times. New York Man Protects Baby as Racist Woman Lunges Screaming Racial Slurs, Protesters urge Mayor Adams to stop looming construction of 30-story mega jail in Manhattans Chinatown, Gemma Chan, Henry Golding and More Raising $70K for UK Campaign to Stop Asian Hate, Shanghai woman to donate $1.5 million apartment to the government after getting inspired by Chow Yun-fat, Emmalyn Nguyen, 18, underwent the procedure at Dr. Geoffrey Kims. The lawsuit says that the pair, Dr. Geoffrey Kim and nurse anesthetist Rex Meeker, left Nguyen "unobserved" for 15 minutes after putting her under anesthesia, which the parents claim is contrary . 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Who makes the best hot chicken sandwich in Denver? Nurse Anesthetist Rex Meeker is also being sued. Pure conjecture: young female, high vagal tone, predisposed to bradycardia, has profound hypotension leading to pulselessness at some point during anesthesia/surgery, CPR/ACLS is done, still minimally . And they never even started the case according to the article? This is the sad story of a healthy eighteen year old girl who went in for cosmetic surgery and wound up brain damaged for life. She reportedly developed pneumonia in her nursing home and went into cardiac arrest multiple times over a 24-hour period. Meeker finally called 911 more than five hours after Nguyen was first given anesthesia, the familys lawsuit said. Surgeons who own surgery centers get to keep the lucrative facility fees. In many cases we have handled, patients and family members have told us that they were unaware of who would be handling anesthesia care in the operating room. "We just want you to go home, we're all waiting for you, OK?". There are several steps to becoming an anesthesiologist. He said that is something he would have done sooner if he had known she had not been awake for hours, the affidavit says. First published on December 18, 2019 / 10:57 PM. He started at the Post in 1986, at the old building on 15th and California streets. We are confident that the facts will bear this out, attorney Douglas Wolaske told the station. In December 9, 2021 order, the Board alleged that the CRNA injected a combination of local anesthetics, both near the maximum of the recommended guidelines, and the patient had an adverse reaction. Meeker was reportedly involved in a similar incident in 2007. At a minimum, I recommend that patients and families asked pointed questions about anesthesia staffing before procedure. Opinion: Colorado farms going fallow? CRNA should have not waited to call 911 regardless of what the surgeon said. In a prior order from January 2, 2020, the Board noted that the CRNA administered 250 mg of lidocaine with epinephrine and 62.5 mg of bupivacaine. Lynn Fam says what was supposed to be a two hour procedure stretched late into the afternoon and she kept asking what was happening. "We still havent been able to get closure from Emmalyns death. February 17, 2022 / 11:59 PM of a The family has sued Kim and Nurse Anesthetist Rex Meeker of gross negligence. He said the most doses he has seen given to reverse anesthetics is two, the affidavit says. Shes young, shes healthy, shell be okay, its just taking her long to wake up, Nguyens mother, Lynn Fam, told, Nguyen remained in a vegetative state prior to her. "I applaud the district attorneys courage and tenacity in this investigation and in bringing these charges. But Paula Harty's daughter, Brandy Swenson, told CBS4 she did not think Meeker should have been allowed to continue practicing after her mother's death. Meeker is facing a manslaughter charge. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Read more from NextShark! She reported to police that she spoke to both Kim and Meeker who were told "different versions" of what happened and appeared to be blaming each other, the affidavit says. A warrant has been issued for Meeker's arrest. Enjoy this content? 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Rex Meeker was booked into the county's detention facility on Friday before being released on bond. Reaction score. He turned himself in to authorities on Wednesday, the sheriff's office said and was released after posting bond. Nurse anesthetist Rex Meeker, who was also involved in the case, is also facing a charge of reckless manslaughter. Nurse anesthetist Rex Meeker, who was also involved in the case, is also facing a charge of reckless manslaughter. Emmalyn Nguyen, 18, in a vegetative state after cosmetic surgery gone wrong. Kims license to practice medicine in Colorado was put on probation on Feb. 27, 2020, for three years by the state medical board. 2,924. So all you hear Is the story the prosecutions atty wants you to hear. Example video title will go here for this video. The office staff also told her that the procedure had never started and would need to be rescheduled. In December 9, 2021 order, the Board alleged that the CRNA injected a combination of local anesthetics, both near the maximum of the recommended guidelines, and the patient had an adverse reaction. 2 years ago. Meeker, on the other hand, was solely charged with manslaughter. . The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office said on Wednesday that they obtained arrest warrants for Dr. Geoffrey Kim, 52, and former nurse anesthetist Rex Meeker in connection with the death of 18-year . Rex L. Meeker, CRNA earned a degree of a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. She reported, according to the affidavit, that the office staff told her that her daughter's heart rate had dropped but that she was "fine.". The Board requires the anesthesiologist to be a board-certified physician licensed by the Board with no prior disciplinary history and no financial interest in Dr. Kims practice. If convicted, both could face significant prison time, 9NEWS legal expert Scott Robinson said. in He said in his professional opinion 911 should have been called "immediately" when Nguyen went into cardiac arrest. 60 shares. Join Facebook to connect with Rex Meeker and others you may know. The familys primary interest in seeing this criminal case being pursued is to make sure this doesnt ever happen to anyone else. No clue what really happened intraop obviously as the facts are not known, but to have one off the hook and now testifying against the surgeon is a really bad look. "At the end of the day, I think theyre glad to see this happening, and its encouraging that the legal system is pursuing this," Woodruff said. The teen never even made it into surgery. Meeker is facing a manslaughter charge in . Nguyen went into cardiac arrest after being given an anesthesia, but it took the medical team five hours to call 911, according to CBS Denver. The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office said on Wednesday that they obtained arrest warrants for Dr. Geoffrey Kim, 52, and former nurse anesthetist Rex Meeker in. AZ Pain Doctors. Rex meeker anesthesiologist plastic breast surgery, emmalyn nguyen. Testosterone Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). Rex Lee Meeker, CRNA is and nurse-anesthetist, Rex Meeker, CRNA who caused Emmalyn's catastrophic brain injury on Aug. 1, 2019: that . Although the CRNA reported a normal sinus heart rhythm and oxygen saturation levels in the mid-90s, this year they decided to manually ventilate the patient and stop the infusion of sedatives. One month after the procedure, Paula Harty died. 1 year ago. All rights reserved. The suit was eventually settled out of court and the terms are confidential. He was charged with "reckless manslaughter and first degree . sadly, it had the same outcome. Please enter valid email address to continue. Copyrights 2023 Painter Law Firm PLLC. Nurse anesthetist Rex Meeker also faces a charge of manslaughter. . A license+E62d registered nurse with advanced specialty education in anesthesia who, in collaboration with appropriate health care professionals, provides preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative care to patients and assists in management and resuscitation of critical patients in intensive care, coronary care, and emergency situations. An initial lawsuit filed in December named Dr. Geoffrey Kim, M.D., nurse anesthetist Rex Meeker and Shay Hurbert, R.N., The family attorney, David Woodruff, said the lawsuit is now being converted into a wrongful death suit. According to the affidavit, it's unclear how much anesthesia Nguyen was actually given because Meeker's notes in the chart are illegible. According to the Board, with 15 minutes of the injection, the CRNA noticed cyanosis (blue color) on the patient that quickly spread to her arms, hands, and torso. 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