Don Sweeney
The Charlotte Observer
A Colorado plastic surgeon faces charges including negligent homicide following the death of an 18-year-old patient who spent 14 months in a coma, sheriff’s officials said.
Dr. Geoffrey Kim, 52, turned himself in on Wednesday, Feb. 16, after investigators obtained a warrant for his arrest, the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office reported in a news release.
Along with negligent homicide, Kim faces a charge of aggravated assault in the death of Emmalyn Nguyen, sheriff’s officials said.
Nguyen went into cardiac arrest and fell into a coma after being anesthetized for breast augmentation surgery at Kim’s Greenwood Village clinic in August 2019, officials said.
She spent 14 months in a minimally conscious state with severe brain damage before dying in October 2020, KCNC reported.
A lawsuit filed by Nguyen’s family says she was left alone after being anesthetized, contrary to proper procedure, and Kim delayed calling 911 for hours, KMGH reported.
A nurse anesthetist in Kim’s office faces a manslaughter charge, sheriff’s officials said. He has not been arrested as of Feb. 16.
“Our hope is that this will be the beginning of bringing justice and a sense of closure to Emmalyn’s family,” Capt. Travis Stewart of the sheriff’s office said in the release.
“We are glad we are finally getting justice for Emmalyn,” Nguyen’s family said in a statement, KCNC reported. “Even though it will never bring our daughter back, at least this will help others from getting hurt and prevent ruining other families’ lives.”
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