‘Gangnam low-cost dental clinic death’: Surgeon referred to prosecutors ... Overdose of local anesthetic identified as cause

[Financial News] In connection with the death of a patient in their 70s while undergoing surgery at a large low-cost implant clinic in Seoul’s Gangnam district, police have referred the operating surgeon to prosecutors on suspicion of professional negligence causing death.
According to police and other sources on the 2nd, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Metropolitan Criminal Investigation Unit referred dentist A to the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office on the 30th of last month on suspicion of professional negligence causing death.
A is accused of causing the death of patient B, a woman in her 70s, by injecting her with more than the permitted dose of local anesthetic while she was undergoing implant surgery at a dental clinic in Gangnam District where A worked on December 30 last year. The clinic reportedly used a narcotic sedative together with the local anesthetic.
An assessment by a specialist institution commissioned by police found that, due to the operating surgeon’s negligence, a dose exceeding the permitted limit was injected directly into a blood vessel in the patient’s body, and that the resulting toxic reaction was the direct cause of death. A has reportedly moved to another dental clinic.
The case involving the clinic, initially investigated by Gangnam Police Station, was later transferred to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Metropolitan Investigation Unit. In addition to the accident last December, another fatal accident occurred at the clinic on August 3, when a patient died while undergoing an implant procedure.
After news of the successive fatal accidents became public, Gangnam District conducted a joint inspection with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on August 18, focusing on the handling and storage of medical narcotics, retention of medical records, facility standards, and other matters. No significant violations were found at the time. Following the referral of the operating surgeon, police plan to continue investigating the clinic’s director for alleged violations of the Medical Service Act and other offenses.


[email protected] Park Ji-hyun Reporter