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. ", Even though it will never bring our daughter back, at least this will help others from getting hurt and prevent ruining other families' lives," the family said, according to, . has 16 years CRNA should have not waited to call 911 regardless of what the surgeon said. Meeker did not respond to multiple calls and text messages from CBS4 seeking comment. The lawsuit says that the pair, Dr. Geoffrey Kim and nurse anesthetist Rex Meeker, left Nguyen "unobserved" for 15 minutes after putting her under anesthesia, which the parents claim is contrary . They explained that in anesthesiologist physician met with them before the procedure and there was no mention of the fact that the CRNA would be part of the team or, in fact, that the CRNA would be running the show anesthesia-wise in the operating room. Her family says she has suffered severe brain damage and will likely remain in this condition for the rest of her life. Rex Meeker, the nurse anesthetist who gave Emmalyn the anesthesia, eventually called paramedics, court docs allege. 962. 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", Sonny Nguyen, the teen's father, told CBS4 "I'm a little speechless about how they can wait that long. Get a bachelor's degree. An anesthesiologist is a medical doctor who specializes in administering anesthesia, the medical treatment that keeps you from feeling pain during procedures or surgery. 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. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Dr. Kim appeared on KUSA's paid programming Colorado and Company in the past. Mr. Rex L. Meeker Staffers used CPR to try to revive the teen but she never fully regained consciousness. Nguyen is now in what is known as a "minimally conscious state" -- unable to speak, walk, eat or take care of herself. She went into cardiac arrest after being administered anesthesia, fell into a coma, and died 14 months later. Travis Stewart, the Arapahoe sheriffs captain of investigations, said in a statement that the criminal investigation opened shortly after the failed surgery and involved dozens of interviews and search warrants. located at 11375 Jasper Rd RELATED: Allegations of neglect at Denvers jail after 71-year-old inmate dies, RELATED: Mom accused of killing daughter while faking her illness gets 16 years. The Board of Nursing has yet . 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. 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. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. Ive been following this case since it started. Nguyen underwent a breast augmentation surgery in August 2019. No clue what really happened intraop obviously as the facts are not known, but to have one off the hook and now testifying against the surgeon is a really bad look. The investigation has taken more than two years to complete and involved dozens of interviews and search warrants. Now, another surgeon is in the news facing felony charges of first-degree aggravated assault and criminally negligent homicide. Although the CRNA reported a normal sinus heart rhythm and oxygen saturation levels in the mid-90s, this year they decided to manually ventilate the patient and stop the infusion of sedatives. Third, its alleged that the surgeon and CRNA took over five hours to call 911. Nguyen's mother said Kim told her that he didn't tell her about the CPR because he was "trying to prevent her from going into shock," the affidavit says. The teen was reportedly taken to a nearby hospital - but she was transferred to a rehab hospital to recover 22 days later. Dr. Grant N. Meeker is a Anesthesiologist in Norfolk, VA. Find Dr. Meeker's address, hospital affiliations and more. msn back to msn home news Skip To . "At the end of the day, I think theyre glad to see this happening, and its encouraging that the legal system is pursuing this," Woodruff said. Nguyen remained in a vegetative state prior to her death in October 2020. 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. Editor's Note: This article has been updated to include that Rex Meeker had also turned himself over to police. A nurse anesthesiologist Rex Meeker is also facing a manslaughter charge, police said. Nguyen went into cardiac arrest after being given an anesthesia, but it took the medical team five hours to call 911, according to CBS Denver. Some people are upset at the way iPhones charge. We love you so much. "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." Meeker, the nurse anesthetist, was involved in a similar situation in 2007. AZ Pain Doctors. Shes young, shes healthy, shell be okay, its just taking her long to wake up, Nguyens mother, Lynn Fam, told CBS Denver. He said the most doses he has seen given to reverse anesthetics is two, the affidavit says. Her mother reported that she was never told CPR was performed and said the first time she heard that was from a nurse at the hospital, the document says. Nguyens familys lawyer, David Woodruff, alleged that nurse Rex Meeker had left the then-18-year-old unattended for 15 minutes after administering the anesthesia. A license+E62d registered nurse with advanced specialty education in anesthesia who, in collaboration with appropriate health care professionals, provides preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative care to patients and assists in management and resuscitation of critical patients in intensive care, coronary care, and emergency situations. 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. Anesthesiologists are physicians. The Board requires the anesthesiologist to be a board-certified physician licensed by the Board with no prior disciplinary history and no financial interest in Dr. Kims practice. A Colorado teen went into cardiac arrest and suffered irreversible brain damage just as she was about to undergo breast implant surgery and now her family is blaming doctors for the botched procedure. . By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Nguyen suffered severe brain damage and was in a minimally conscious state before she died in October 2020. Dec 20, 2019. Meeker was the nurse anesthetist for Nguyens surgery, according to court documents. Mr. Rex L. Meeker has 15 years of experience in nurse anesthesiology. She's young, she's healthy, she'll be OK, it's just taking her long to wake up.". Sun City, AZ 85375. 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Nguyen's family filed a lawsuit against Dr. Kim and nurse anesthetist Rex Meeker, claiming that they did not seek emergency help during the procedure and delayed her hospitalization for nearly . / CBS Colorado. After graduating high school, Nguyen decided to get a breast augmentation at Colorado Aesthetics & Plastic Surgery to improve her image, the station reported. Medical authorities said Meeker also had an obligation to call for emergency help and get Nguyen to a hospital. Its not uncommon to have medical malpractice clients express a desire to see physicians face criminal charges or lose their medical licenses over negligent health care. Incredibly, according to the Board order, the surgeon didnt call 911 for emergency personnel to transport the patient to the hospital following her systolic arrest for approximately five hours. 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. Dr. Francis G. Brusino MD. On Wednesday, Dr. Geoffrey Kim, 52, a plastic surgeon, turned himself in to authorities accompanied by an attorney, according to the sheriffs office. Call (602) 795-8710. 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.". The patient never regained consciousness. But we all try to stay strong in case she can hear us.". Shes young, shes healthy, shell be OK, its just taking her long to wake up.'. Posted by TDLCRNA Nurse Anesthesiologist . First published on February 17, 2022 / 11:59 PM. of experience in nurse anesthesiology. Meeker was also sued as a result of a 2009 case during which a woman died after suffering brain damage during her breast augmentation surgery, KDVR-TV reported. 12 months ago. "In terms of the lawsuit filed against the plastic surgeon, Geoffrey Kim, M.D. After receiving anesthesia, she reportedly experienced two cardiac arrests and ended up with brain damage. We are Medical Malpractice attorneys who believe in hard work, solid resources & respect so we can earn your trust. since February 11, 2007, This is a charged and controversial topic in healthcare these days. "By preventing calls to 911 and delaying treatment for 6 hours, they caused her brain injury to be much more severe.". ", Meeker, the nurse anesthetist, was involved in a similar situation in 2007. in Greenwood Village on Aug. 1, 2019. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Contact himby calling 281-580-8800 oremailing him right now. Dr. Geoffrey Kim, 52, surrendered to deputies Wednesday following an arrest warrant issued years after the botched surgery in August 2019, according to the Arapahoe County Sheriffs Office. "We just want you to go home, we're all waiting for you, OK?". Rex Lee Meeker, CRNA is There are very few criminal cases filed against surgeons for botched operations and it tells us there is something more going on here than just mere negligence, said 9NEWS legal expert Scott Robinson. "But the worst thing is she . Rex meeker anesthesiologist plastic breast surgery, emmalyn nguyen. A plastic surgeon and a nurse anesthetist in Colorado are now facing criminal charges in connection to a disastrous breast augmentation surgery that led to a young womans death in October 2020. On February 27, 2020, the Board entered a stipulation and final agency order that placed Dr. Kim on probation. Surgeons who own surgery centers get to keep the lucrative facility fees. Nguyen did stop breathing and no one noticed until another nurse came in several minutes later, according to a lawsuit filed in December 2019. The anesthesia provider involved, Rex Meeker, became a registered nurse in 1984 and certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) in 1995. Enjoy this content? Testosterone Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). Hopefully bringing criminal charges will bring out the truth about what happened and will bring justice for Emmalyn.". Rex L. Meeker, CRNA has been registered with the National Provider Identifier database Lynn Fam tends to her daughter Emmalyn Nguyen. Woodruff also released his own statement: "It is very rare for a prosecutor to bring criminal charges against health care providers. The medical boards order found that Kim performed CPR on Nguyen when there was trouble the day of her surgery, but he failed to contact emergency personnel to take her to a hospital for about five hours. 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