According to the order, after the CRNA administered anesthesia, the patient went into cardiac arrest and began turning blue. He said Everything is fine, Emmalyn is fine, everything is good, Fam told KCNC, recalling what Kim told her. Every day we help real people who have suffered catastrophic injuries or death because of medical negligence. At one point, Kim came out to the waiting room and also told Nguyen's mother she was "fine" but said it was taking longer than expected for her to wake up, the affidavit says. Last Wednesday, the Arapahoe County Sheriffs Office announced that Kim had surrendered himself over to the police following an arrest warrant. A warrant has been issued for Meeker's arrest. He said in his professional opinion 911 should have been called "immediately" when Nguyen went into cardiac arrest. 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The mother leans in, just inches from her daughter's face. On Aug. 15, 2019, Nguyen's mother went to police and stated that her daughter was in the hospital with brain damage and that she believed Kim "had caused her to be there," the affidavit says. Investigators spoke with the ER doctor who treated Nguyen after she was transported to the hospital and he reported that Kim initially told him he was transferring a patient there to be "observed" while medication wore off, the affidavit says. This article doesnt mention that at all. in October 2020. Sun City, AZ 85375. of a When asked if he believed Kim had deliberately misled him, he said he didn't know, but went on to say it "seemed like it had to have been deliberate.". Nguyen's family's lawyer, David Woodruff, alleged that nurse Rex Meeker had left the then-18-year-old unattended for 15 minutes after administering the anesthesia. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. The girls mother, Lynn Fam, said she was told during the $6,000 procedure that no complications had occurred. Changes are necessary to expand rural access to the services of physician anesthesiologists. Rex Meeker is a provider established in Lafayette, Colorado and his medical specialization is Nurse Anesthetist, Certified Registered. Reaction score. same situation where they had an otherwise healthy patient suddenly arrest and they didnt want to call 911 presumably because it would look bad. Not for the "stupid price" of $150 an acre foot. Dr. Geoffrey Kim and nurse anesthetist Rex Meeker are accused of failing to call 911 for nearly 5 hours after Emmalyn Nguyens heart stopped on Aug. 1. He turned himself in to the sheriff's office on Friday as expected and was booked on that charge and released. View the profiles of people named Rex Meeker. He turned himself in to authorities on Wednesday, the sheriff's office said and was released after posting bond. A plastic surgeon and a nurse anesthetist in Colorado are now facing criminal charges in connection to a disastrous breast augmentation surgery that led to a young womans death in October 2020. At all times material hereto, Rex L. Meeker, CRNA ("Defendant Meeker") was and is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist ("CRNA"), licensed to practice nursing in the State of Colorado . State medical records show Kim has had no previous disciplinary actions against his medical license. Who makes the best hot chicken sandwich in Denver? in Appointments 216.444.7246. In 2010, the American Society of Anesthesiologists . The anesthesia provider involved, Rex Meeker, became a registered nurse in 1984 and certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) in 1995. Did he really leave her alone? They ruined Emmalyn's life, not just hers but all of ours. Meeker, on the other hand, was solely charged with manslaughter. She said at various points, staff members misled her about what had occurred. 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. I firmly believe that anesthesia staffing should be part of the informed consent conversation and pre-anesthesia evaluation thats required by the standard of care. He added, "It did involve elements of recklessness by the providers involved and they just dont want to see this happen again. Nguyen remained in a vegetative state prior to her death in October 2020. Nguyen's death warrant was issued "after extensive criminal review," the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday. Contact himby calling 281-580-8800 oremailing him right now. 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. "The motion to dismiss charges against Rex Meeker indicates that prosecution is "no longer in the interests" of justice due to the discovery of new evidence and interviews since the case was filed earlier this year." 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. She fell into a coma and died 14 months later, deputies said. Nurse Anesthetist Rex Meeker is also being sued. Gilbert, AZ 85233. Meeker was reportedly involved in a similar incident in 2007. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Now, every day, Lynn Fam visits her daughter's bedside, brushing her daughter's hair, adjusting her pillow and maintaining hope. Nurse anesthetist Rex Meeker also faces a charge of manslaughter. Nguyen is now in what is known as a "minimally conscious state" -- unable to speak, walk, eat or take care of herself. located at 11375 Jasper Rd Hopefully bringing criminal charges will bring out the truth about what happened and will bring justice for Emmalyn.". 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Nguyen's mother said Kim told her that he didn't tell her about the CPR because he was "trying to prevent her from going into shock," the affidavit says. An anesthesia expert told investigators that in his 40-year career he has never given a second dose of Narcan. (credit: CBS). This is a charged and controversial topic in healthcare these days. "It is very rare for a prosecutor to bring criminal charges against health care providers," said David Woodruff, an attorney for patient Emmalyn Nguyens family. There are several steps to becoming an anesthesiologist. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. The NPI number of this provider is 1972644979 and was assigned on February 2007. Third, its alleged that the surgeon and CRNA took over five hours to call 911. Enjoy this content? Narcan is a medication that is typically used to reverse drug overdoses. (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. Call 281-580-8800, Lingual nerve injury left patient with numb tongue, loss of taste, IV infiltration or extravasation can cause serious injuries, People over 25 years old have higher risk, require extra precautions, Treatments and surgeries require both an order and consent, Texas Supreme Court provides further guidance on how tort reform periodic payment law applies. Shes young, shes healthy, shell be okay, its just taking her long to wake up, Nguyens mother, Lynn Fam, told CBS Denver. Kim did not respond to multiple messages left by CBS4, but his attorney, Kari Hershey, told CBS4 "As a physician, Dr. Kim is not at liberty to comment about any specific patient.". Read more from NextShark! But Woodruff says medical records show Nguyen went into cardiac arrest a second time, just a few minutes later, and was again stabilized, but 911 was still not called, even though she was "neurologically unresponsive.". Insurance companies pay surgery centers less than hospitals for operating room services. The family sued Kim and nurse anesthetist Rex Meeker for negligence. Posted by TDLCRNA Nurse Anesthesiologist . 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. The Board of Nursing has yet . Vote in our annual food bracket challenge. Meeker was also sued as a result of a 2009 case during which a woman died after suffering brain damage during her breast augmentation surgery, KDVR-TV reported. 102 shares. Emmalyn Nguyen (credit: CBS) In a . These should load faster, but AMP is controversial because of concerns over privacy and the Open Web. According to Arapahoe County Sherriff's Office, 52-year-old Dr. Geoffrey Kim turned himself in on Wednesday and was charged with criminally negligent homicide and first-degree aggravated assault. According to a lawsuit filed by Nguyen's family, she was left unattended for about 15 minutes after Rex Meeker, the nurse anesthetist, administered the anesthesia. She said Kim "would not initially agree" to that and assured staff that Nguyen would wake up "if given some additional time," the affidavit says. Within five to ten additional minutes, the patient went into cardiac arrest, and the CRNA and surgeon continued resuscitation efforts. CPR performed several times. Court records show Kim's Colorado medical license was briefly suspended in January 2020, as a result of the incident involving Nguyen. Let us help you. Nguyens familys lawyer, David Woodruff, alleged that nurse Rex Meeker had left the then-18-year-old unattended for 15 minutes after administering the anesthesia. Maybe check out the canonical page instead: https://www.9news.com/article/news/crime/plastic-surgery-death-charges-dismissed/73-3aeaa2ce-bb0a-4b6b-a579-f0065afc3e5f, I'm a bot | Why & About | Summon: u/AmputatorBot. . The family has sued Kim and Nurse Anesthetist Rex Meeker of gross negligence. She didn't show signs. All rights reserved. The document goes on to say that Nguyen was given nine separate doses of anesthetic reversal agents, including Narcan, over a one-hour period. Meeker, on the other hand, was solely charged with manslaughter. (Emmalyn Nguyen's Family/Arapahoe County Sheriff), COLORADO WOMAN, 18, SEVERELY BRAIN-DAMAGED AFTER BREAST IMPLANT SURGERY GONE WRONG, FAMILY SAYS. The document also notes CPR was performed between two and four times at the plastic surgery center. The plastic surgeon, Dr. Kim, entered the operating room and immediately began cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). / CBS Colorado. Opinion: Colorado farms going fallow? The lawsuit was filed in Boulder County Court against Dr. Geoffrey Kim and nurse anesthetist Rex Meeker, the pair who allegedly administered anesthesia before the surgery. You may have heard of that surgeon being called Dr. Death in podcasts and on a TV show. The anesthesia provider involved, Rex Meeker, became a registered nurse in 1984 and certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) in 1995. After receiving anesthesia, she reportedly experienced two cardiac arrests and ended up with brain damage. Privacy Policy. Our hope is that this will be the beginning of bringing justice and a sense of closure to Emmalyn's family.". He said there is no such thing as a risk-free procedure. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Read his reports or check out his bio & send him an email. 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 . He said everything is fine, Emmalyn is fine, everything is good. State records show that case did not lead to any state disciplinary action against Meeker. Aspiring anesthesiologists must first obtain a bachelor's degree before they can begin medical training. And they never even started the case according to the article? Meeker was reportedly involved in a similar incident in 2007. Nguyen had gone to Kim at Colorado Aesthetic and Plastic Surgery for a breast augmentation on Aug. 1, 2019. Read his reports or check out his bio & send him an email. Colorado plastic surgeon charged after patient, 18, died in botched breast implant surgery Dr Geoffrey Kim and his nurse anesthetist, Rex Meeker, have been charged in the death of Emmalyn. Lynn Fam said a lawsuit won't bring her daughter back but might provide some answers as to what happened. When an entire team of healthcare professionals realizes shes in cardiac arrest, they perform CPR then they don't call 911 for five and a half hours. For my family, it would be my choice to have any surgery in a hospital, where the highest level of care can be provided in the event of an emergency. 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 . Rex Meeker was booked Friday at the Arapahoe County jail on suspicion of manslaughter, a class-four felony, and released, according to the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office. Emmalyn Nguyen, left, was 18 when she went into a coma and died after saving up thousands of dollars for breast implants from Dr. Geoffrey Kim. He may not be legally liable at this time, but it certainly looks like he shares at least some of the blame. 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. Pain Medicine (Anesthesiology) AZ Pain Doctors. She will remain in a nursing home essentially non-functional with someone feeding her through a tube for the next 50 years, Woodruff told KDVR. There was a firehouse in the same parking lot that could have provided help within moments. I applaud District Attorney John Kellner and Assistant DA Gary Dawson for their courage and tenacity in this investigation and in bringing these charges. An anesthesiologist is a medical doctor who specializes in administering anesthesia, the medical treatment that keeps you from feeling pain during procedures or surgery. "I was fine with it," said Fam. 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. Get a bachelor's degree. Dr. Geoffrey Kim, 52, surrendered to deputies Wednesday following an arrest warrant issued years after the botched surgery in August 2019, according to the Arapahoe County Sheriffs Office. Meeker is also facing a felony reckless manslaughter charge and turned himself in to authorities on Friday. Dr Geoffrey Kim, 52, admitted he didn't call 911 for five hours after Emmalyn Nguyen went into cardiac arrest when she was given anesthesia by nurse Rex Meeker on August 1, 2019. Meeker was reportedly involved in a similar incident in 2007. I feel like this looks bad for crna independence if surgeons feel they'll be hung out to dry during intraop Anesthetic complications like this. Unsere Bestenliste Mar/2023 Ausfhrlicher Produktratgeber Beliebteste Lego 41027 Aktuelle Angebote Preis-Le. Share 41 Tweet 26. Nguyen was taken to a hospital before being transferred 22 days later to a rehab center, where she still receives continual care in a minimally conscious state and is unable to speak, walk or eat on her own. He said that is something he would have done sooner if he had known she had not been awake for hours, the affidavit says. Nguyen underwent a breast augmentation surgery in August 2019. a degree But you may not have the right to request a physician anesthesiologists care. The lawsuit alleges negligence and contends that during that initial timeframe, Nguyen went into cardiac arrest and was revived when Dr. Kim performed CPR. Most individuals choose to get a bachelor's degree in the field of biology, natural sciences or a . 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