Common beauty procedures in Hong Kong are now raising safety, as well as health concerns following the news of another woman who died after undergoing a Botox injection. This particular facelift procedure and ultrasound treatment can be performed legally in the city without the need of a doctor. Aside from that, there are no regulations governing the use of medical devices - such as hot and cold packs to breast implants.
The recent incident involved a 52-year-old woman who was admitted at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital after she passed out following the Botox injection procedure - she died on Monday morning. The 86-year-old Dr. Franklin Li Wang-pong - the plastic surgeon - was arrested as he was connected with the incident and suspected of violating regulations regarding the use of dangerous drugs. He was also previously suspended for five months after the death of another woman.
The woman surnamed Cheung is a regular customer at the clinic. The day she collapsed, she reportedly received about 16 shots of Botox to her chin, jaw, and above her brow at the clinic. According to the South China Morning Post, this is not the first incident a patient died while undergoing beauty procedures.
Here are some of the recent cases in Hong Kong:
Botox Injections
A 41-year-old woman received Botox injections in her calves at her home from a Chinese beautician on November 1. After the said procedure, she suddenly experienced difficulty in swallowing, weakness, and hoarseness. Then, a 24-year-old woman the following day has been sent at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital as well after receiving Botox injection in her face at a Tsim Sha Tsui salon. She experienced shortness of breath, felt nauseous and weak.
Both patients are now in a stable condition, but the Center for Health Protection is investigating these incidents.
Botox (also known as botulinum toxin) is usually used in cosmetic procedures to slim down the target area in the body by paralyzing the muscles or used to avoid wrinkles. Doctors warned patients that Botox overdose or injecting it in the wrong position might prompt respiratory muscles paralyzation - leading to breathing difficulty or even death.
Cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cell therapy
The cytokine-induced killer cell treatment is an experimental cancer therapy which aims to enhance the immune system. The procedure involves blood being taken out from the body, will be processed, and then reintroduced into the body of the patient.
In October 2012, Chan Yuen-lam, 46, died in Ruttonjee Hospital, Wan Chai, due to blood poisoning. This was seven days after her blood was taken out on her body, and then reintroduced. Another woman who had the same procedure spent over a year in the hospital, wherein her four fingers and legs were amputated. The third woman was in the hospital for six months, leaving her permanent injuries.
Liposuction
Liposuction is a cosmetic procedure wherein the fat is being removed from the body. A 21-year-old woman had undergone the said procedure at a private clinic in October 2014. She thought fat removed from her thighs but was in a critical condition when she was sent to the intensive-care unit (ICU) at Ruttonjee Hospital in Wan Chai.
