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. . He turned himself in to authorities on Wednesday, the sheriff's office said and was released after posting bond. "CRNA Rex Meeker maintains that contrary to claims in the lawsuit and those being made in the media, the complications in Ms. Nguyen's surgery were not related to inappropriate care on his . 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. View the profiles of people named Rex Meeker. of a To become an anesthesiologist, you typically need to: 1. Meeker was reportedly involved in a similar incident in 2007. 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. 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.". a degree She suffered brain damage and is unlikely to return to her previous condition, the lawsuit said. has 16 years Meeker, on the other hand, was solely charged with manslaughter. Copyrights 2023 Painter Law Firm PLLC. Kim and Rex Meeker, a nurse who has been charged with manslaughter in Nguyens death, allegedly overdosed Nguyen through a method called "snowing" in an attempt to get her under anesthesia more quickly. Get a bachelor's degree. A Colorado plastic surgeon is facing charges stemming from the death of an 18-year-old patient following a breast augmentation procedure in 2019. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. According to a 2009 lawsuit filed in that case, Harty suffered low blood pressure and a slow heart rate during the procedure which were unrecognized and led to cardiac arrest and severe brain damage. Some people are upset at the way iPhones charge. "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." Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Call (602) 795-8700. Through their attorney, Nguyens relatives released a statement saying that they hope the criminal case will bring forth an explanation and closure. A nurse under criminal investigation in connection with the death of a 19-year-old patient who died after breast augmentation surgery turned himself in to Arapahoe County authorities. . Nurse anesthetists are certified following successful completion of credentials and state licensure review and a national examination directed by the Council on Certification of Nurse Anesthetists. Fam says at one point an office staff member even approached her and gave her a reminder card setting up a follow up appointment. Nguyen is now in what is known as a "minimally conscious state" -- unable to speak, walk, eat or take care of herself. 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. Licenses and Affiliations. 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-old Emmalyn Nguyen. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. The CRNA then administered medications to reverse the sedation. Third, its alleged that the surgeon and CRNA took over five hours to call 911. According to the order, after the CRNA administered anesthesia, the patient went into cardiac arrest and began turning blue. 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. Meeker was reportedly involved in a similar incident in 2007. Dr. Geoffrey Kim, 52, has been charged with first-degree aggravated assault and . Meeker finally called 911 more than five hours after Nguyen was first given anesthesia, the familys lawsuit said. 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. 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. Emmalyn Nguyen, 18, underwent the procedure at Dr. Geoffrey Kims Colorado Aesthetics and Plastic Surgery in Greenwood Village on Aug. 1, 2019. That anesthesiologist is required to be a licensed physician with no prior disciplinary history and must report back to the state medical board on a quarterly basis. "We're all right here for you. "We opened this criminal case in August 2019. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Facebook gives people the power to share. Both of them love surgery centers because of money. Rex Meeker, CRNA, is being charged with criminally negligent homicide. The investigation has taken more than two years to complete and involved dozens of interviews and search warrants," Travis Stewart, captain of investigations for the Sheriff's Office, in a statement. He turned himself in to the sheriff's office on Friday as expected and was booked on that charge and released. Our hope is that this will be the beginning of bringing justice and a sense of closure to Emmalyns family., In a statement, the family shared that they are hopeful about "finally getting justice for Emmalyn. Certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) are not physicians, but their lobbyists and professional associations are advocating for CRNAs to have the right to have independent practices unsupervised by an anesthesiologist. His conduct was deemed unprofessional. 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. Meeker was sued in 2009 by a Summit County man named John Harty after his wife Paula Harty died following brain damage she suffered during a breast enhancement surgery in which Meeker was the. He started at the Post in 1986, at the old building on 15th and California streets. One month after the procedure, Paula Harty died. 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 . Second, the anesthesia provider is also being charged and being prosecuted. Ive seen a lot of prosecuting in the public court of this fellow and the guy here in AZ with the dental death. After graduating high school, Nguyen decided to get a breast augmentation at Colorado Aesthetics & Plastic Surgery to improve her image, the station reported. But you may not have the right to request a physician anesthesiologists care. FOX31 first reported on Nguyen's condition on Dec. 18, the day her parents filed a lawsuit that names the practice, its owner Dr. Geoffrey Kim, nurse anesthetist Rex Meeker, registered nurse . This is a charged and controversial topic in healthcare these days. Its always slanted and rarely about the evidence. She reportedly developed pneumonia in her nursing home and went into cardiac arrest multiple times over a 24-hour period. 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. Even though it will never bring our daughter back, at least this will help others from getting hurt and prevent ruining other families' lives. Robert Painter is an award-winning medical malpractice attorney at Painter Law Firm PLLC, in Houston, Texas. Rex Meeker was booked into the county's detention facility on Friday before being released on bond. . Kim, who reportedly revived Nguyen after her first cardiac arrest, allegedly misled her family into thinking that everything is fine. He said everything is fine, Emmalyn is fine, everything is good. Questions 216.444.9134. This almost seems like he cut a deal to testify and save himself. 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. 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. Meeker, the nurse anesthetist, was involved in a similar situation in 2007. "We still havent been able to get closure from Emmalyns death. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. Legal Statement. Meeker, Inc. ("Defendant Meeker Inc."), a Colorado corporation with its principal business offices located at 11375 Jasper Road, Lafayette, Boulder County, Colorado. Dr. Francis G. Brusino MD. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. Most individuals choose to get a bachelor's degree in the field of biology, natural sciences or a . This time, its plastic surgeon Geoffrey Kim, MD, who was scheduled to perform an elective breast augmentation procedure. Our hope is that this will be the beginning of bringing justice and a sense of closure to Emmalyns family. In a statement, the family shared that they are hopeful about "finally getting justice for Emmalyn." The second nurse found her with her face turned blue and in cardiac arrest. 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. They dont want any other family to have to go through this kind of trauma.". He served as the nurse anesthetist for Paula Harty, of Silverthorne, who was also undergoing a breast augmentation. So all you hear Is the story the prosecutions atty wants you to hear. Rex Meeker has agreed to not practice as a certified nurse anesthetist temporarily; however, he is allowed to practice as a registered nurse in the state of Colorado. The anesthesia provider involved, Rex Meeker, became a registered nurse in 1984 and certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) in 1995. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Last year, he and Meeker agreed to pay $1 million each to Nguyens family in, Featured Image via Emmalyn Nguyen's family (left) and, A woman threw a house party with 65 men she matched with on Tinder and Hinge and connected with the man she's been dating for a year. He said there is no such thing as a risk-free procedure. 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. When selecting a surgeon, its not only important to be comfortable with the surgeons technical competence, but also to understand the location where the surgery will occurand the emergency capabilities. Certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) surrendered license after patient became unresponsive shortly after CRNA administered multiple anesthetic drugs, Lawsuit alleges Houston oral surgeon caused nerve injury when pulling wisdom tooth, Jury awards $11 million to man who lost leg because of a botched IV line, Lessons learned from dental malpractice cases: Risks and precautions when having wisdom teeth pulled, Registered nurse criminally charged, alleged to have amputated patient's foot without order or consent, How Texas medical malpractice plaintiffs are paid for future medical expenses after winning at trial. Cookie Notice February 17, 2022 / 11:59 PM Appointments 216.444.7246. (credit: CBS). "I just had kind of a weird feeling," Nguyens mother, Lynn Fam, told reporters after filing the lawsuit. Rex meeker anesthesiologist plastic breast surgery, emmalyn nguyen. How on earth is the CRNA off the hook but the surgeon still on? The familys primary interest in seeing this criminal case being pursued is to make sure this doesnt ever happen to anyone else. The anesthesia provider. He was booked on suspicion of two felonies, first-degree aggravated assault and criminally negligent homicide, and released. Now, every day, Lynn Fam visits her daughter's bedside, brushing her daughter's hair, adjusting her pillow and maintaining hope. On Wednesday, Dr. Geoffrey Kim, 52, a plastic surgeon, turned himself in to authorities accompanied by an attorney, according to the sheriffs office. Veteran investigative reporter Brian Maass has broken countless major stories at CBS News Colorado and established a high level of trust and credibility in the community. August 2019 risk-free procedure conversation and pre-anesthesia evaluation thats required by the standard of care 18-year-old patient a. Surgeon Geoffrey kim, who was also undergoing a breast augmentation procedure was reportedly in. 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