World | Philippines
Philippine police probe 'death during liposuction'
Police are investigating the death of a Filipina on Monday while undergoing liposuction surgery.
- By Gilbert Felongco, Correspondent
- Published: 23:53 June 17, 2008
Manila: Police are investigating the death of a Filipina on Monday while undergoing liposuction surgery.
Senior Superintendent Rudy Mabanag of Quezon City criminal investigation division said police medico-legal experts are conducting an autopsy on 29-year-old Mary Jane Arciaga's body.
Arciaga arrived from Dubai last week.
He said they are looking at possible lapses of doctors that led to the woman's death.
Police took into custory five people of the surgical team, a report by radio station dzMM said.
The report identified the doctors in custody as cosmetic-plastic surgeon Lorenzo Peregrina, anaesthesiologist Mylene Tan and surgeon Joel Punzon. Two nurses are also in custody.
Mabanag said Arciaga underwent liposuction at Borough Medical Care Institute in Eastwood Cyberpark district at around 1:30pm on Monday. The patient died four hours after the operation started.
Quoting experts, Mabanag said there is the possibility that the cause of Arciaga's death was anaesthesia overdose. Mabanag said Arciaga had undergone an earlier tummy tuc at the same hospital last month and doctors were able to successfully carry out the operation.
There have been several such incidents when the competence of Filipino doctors has been thrown open to question.
Last year, a young lawmaker, Mitzi Cajayon, blamed doctors of negligence after she nearly had a miscarriage following liposuction.
Cajayon said she was unaware that she was one week pregnant when she underwent liposuction surgery in March 2007.
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