Doctors held liable for patient's death

The District Attorney's Office has officially filed charges against surgeon Davor Šimundić (48) and anesthesiologist Zlatko Houra (55). We're looking at felony charges regarding reckless medical treatment—specifically involving a 23-year-old patient who passed away from complications following surgery.

more info at the link below


what do you guys think?

Why do people assume cosmetic surgery is somehow lower risk than any other procedure? Why would anyone agree to an operation in a small outpatient clinic or a private office? It makes no sense that doctors making a living off these procedures don't even have the necessary equipment for resuscitation on-site, instead just calling 911 when things go south.
Surgeries shouldn't be performed in facilities that aren't fully equipped to handle an emergency if things take a turn for the worse. For that poor girl, it’s too late now, but hopefully this serves as a lesson to anyone considering surgery. Do your homework and ask the hard questions—don't just look at the price tag.

Going under the knife and getting knocked out by anesthesia when you don't actually need it is basically just playing a high-stakes game of Russian roulette.

What’s the issue here? She requested surgery and she paid for it. These two doctors completely ignored standard medical protocols, and that negligence cost her her life. They didn't get to hide behind the bureaucracy of the American healthcare system this time, because now they're facing actual indictment.

Whether they actually face consequences remains to be seen.

Chloe Gray12 said:They couldn't just hide behind the bureaucracy of the healthcare system—now they're actually facing an indictment.

Whether there'll be any actual consequences... well, I guess we'll see.

Yeah, right... like that'll ever happen. 😍

From what I can gather, they didn't even have a defibrillator on hand. That’s a massive failure. A decent one runs about $6667, and you ABSOLUTELY need one available—even if it’s rarely used during these kinds of procedures.

They claimed she went into fibrillation and the anesthesiologist tried manual resuscitation before calling 911, which arrived in 15 minutes—too little, too late. They didn't need a squad of ER doctors; they needed a defibrillator!!!

Sophia Martinez65 said:From what I can gather from the context, they didn't have a defibrillator on hand. Now, that’s a massive issue. A decent unit costs roughly $6667, and you ABSOLUTELY need one available, even if it’s rarely used during these types of procedures.

They mentioned she went into fibrillation and the anesthesiologist tried manual resuscitation before calling 911. The paramedics arrived in 15 minutes, but by then, it was already too late. They didn't need emergency doctors showing up; they needed a defibrillator!!!

A double dose of epinephrine combined with a malfunctioning defibrillator? In a more developed part of the country, they’d be looking at a massive malpractice lawsuit for life.

Sophia Martinez65 said:From what I gathered, they didn't even have a defibrillator on hand. Now, that is a massive failure. A defibrillator costs roughly $6667, and you MUST have one ready, even if it's rarely needed during these types of procedures.

They claimed she went into fibrillation and the anesthesiologist tried manual resuscitation before calling 911, which arrived in 15 minutes—far too late. They didn't need paramedics; they needed a defibrillator!!!

And provided they actually had the right equipment, they also desperately needed an anesthesiologist who actually knows their job.🙄

gentlebear8 said:A double dose of adrenaline plus a broken defibrillator? In the West, you'd be looking at a life sentence for that one.

Honestly, we should probably bring something like that over here too... 😉

I guess it’s kind of funny how this old case is suddenly being dragged back into the spotlight right when everyone is fighting about doctor salaries again—you know, since the administration basically backed out of that deal to bump pay by 10% annually over four years to match what judges make.
At the same time, I don't think anyone really pointed out from that article that our "famous" lawyer actually suggested the mother sell her house just to cover his fees and the legal costs....

Look, I'm not trying to defend the doctor's mistake, whether it was a technical error or just being unprepared or whatever... but this whole thing is ancient news, so I'm wondering why it's suddenly being resurfaced now. Like, what's actually new here? Why is this even a headline today??

Casey Cook10 said:It’s interesting how this old case is suddenly being dragged back into the spotlight right when we’re renegotiating physician salaries again (remember how the government backed out of that deal to bump pay by 10% annually over four years just to match judicial wages?).
At the same time, nobody seems to be pointing out that the lawyer in this text actually advised the mother to sell her house just to cover his fees and the legal costs....

I’m not defending the doctor’s mistake—whether it was a lack of expertise or just being under-equipped—but this case is ancient history. Why bring it up all of a sudden? What’s actually new here? Why is this making headlines now??

..the lawyer's statement was quoted, and the whole thing was "dug up" because the verdict is currently pending.

I’ve been following this whole situation for a few years now.

The only thing I can say for certain is that if it were my life, I would never agree to an operation unless I knew for a fact the facility had a working defibrillator on hand. ABSOLUTELY NOT. 🙄

Now comes the inevitable chorus of people asking, "Well, how was she supposed to know?" Honestly? If you don't take the initiative to ask the right questions or double-check the safety protocols, you're just asking for trouble.

Megan Reed said:I’ve been following that case for years.

The only thing I can say is that if an operating room doesn't have a defibrillator on hand, I would refuse the surgery immediately. ABSOLUTELY NOT. 🙄

Now comes the inevitable refrain: "How was she supposed to know?" Well, if one fails to ask the right questions or perform basic due diligence, what then?

It seems most people are blissfully ignorant regarding anesthesia complications, cardiac arrest, or even the basic protocols for treating asystole.

Is this actually being disclosed to patients here in the US before surgery? As I recall, you simply sign a waiver stating you understand the risks and give consent, and that’s the end of it.

Even over in Germany, they don't typically go into detail unless you specifically ask. They might explain the different types of anesthesia available and let you choose, but that's about it.

Look, when I went to get my piercing done, I didn't just walk in blindly. I did my homework—scouted the shop, interviewed the piercer about her training, and scrutinized everything they used, from the sterility of the needles to the actual quality of the jewelry. I even signed all the necessary waivers, obviously. Plus, I brought my mom along just to have an extra set of eyes on the whole operation... 😬

Like I said, if someone doesn't give a damn about who’s performing a procedure on them or what kind of environment they're in, then honestly, that’s their own fault at this point.

Another thing is, if the law requires them to have specific equipment on hand and they don't have it, they're clearly in the wrong. 🙂

Kate Garcia2 said:I think most people have no clue about potential anesthesia complications, let alone what cardiac arrest actually entails or the specific protocols used during asystole.

Look, the folks over at the Mayo Clinic actually went through the trouble of putting together some resources for patients waiting on surgery: http://www.mayoclinic.org/anesthesia/information.htm.

Just remember, there’s no such thing as a "stupid question" when it comes to your own medical care.

You just have to speak up. 😉

Megan Reed said:I've known about that situation for a few years now.

Honestly? All I can say is that I’d jump at the chance to have surgery with someone who doesn't even own a defibrillator. No. 🙄

I can already hear the "how was she supposed to know?" excuses coming. Honestly? If you don't bother to ask or double-check, that's on you.

Megan Reed—don't go mixing apples and oranges with potatoes. 🙂

1. I haven't seen any posts from this user yet. If you have content you want me to rework, send it over. Anesthesia complications—nobody ever really wants to talk about that part. She signed the waiver and all, but that doesn't change the reality of it.

2. Apples: They didn't even have a defibrillator on hand—that's a massive failure on their part.

How can you even blame a girl for not knowing what a defibrillator is? Seriously. 😲 Maybe she didn't go to medical school—is that really enough reason to kill her? 😠

Maybe an anesthesiologist or an ICU specialist should actually bother checking the equipment once in a while. Just a thought. 😕 Just checking—to see if this actually works.

3. Potatoes. You can't exactly compare a piercing studio to a surgical suite. It's not even the same league.

It’s absolutely not the girl's fault that the doctors messed up.

She shouldn't be blamed for choosing an elective cosmetic procedure she didn't strictly need for medical reasons, nor for not knowing about the potential risks or the fact that the facility lacked the essential equipment required for such surgeries.

It was tragic. She was elderly and frail, and there was absolutely nothing anyone could do about it... 😉