Jun 08, 2016 11:39 AM
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(Updated Jun 08, 2016 11:40 AM)
A final-year Madras Medical College student died a day after undergoing hair transplant at Advanced Robotics Hair Transplant Centre in Nungambakkam, Times of India reported.
As per sources at the Directorate of Medical Services(DMS), the centre was not authorised to perform surgical procedures and that it had a licence only for hair cutting and styling.
Anaesthetist Dr. Hariprasad Kasturi and Dr. A Vineeth Suryakumar, an MBBS graduate from a college in China conducted the transplant, said Tamil Nadu Medical Council president Dr. K Senthil.
In hair transplant, tiny plugs of skin, each containing a few hairs, are taken out from the back or sides of the scalp under local anaesthesia by the surgeon and then implanted on the bald sections. When Santhosh Kumar went under the knife, it took more than six hours for Dr. Vineeth to remove hair from his scalp. Any procedure requires the anaesthetist to be present throughout, however, Dr. Hariprasad had left the salon.
The patient complained of discomfort when the follicles were implanted and was then taken to a nearby private hospital where Dr. Hariprasad worked where first aid was dispensed. After that the medical student left for his hometown of Aarni.
His condition deteriorated the next day(May 17) and his family rushed him to Christian Medical College Hospital, Vellore, where he died within half an hour of admission. "Hospital reports said that he died soon after admission due to multi-organ failure triggered by delayed anaphylaxis and toxic syndrome, " said Dr. Senthil. Anaphylaxis is a strong allergic reaction which can been triggered by anesthesia.
A post-mortem was not conducted as a police complaint was not filed by the family. Officials at the directorate of medical education said they came to know of the incident almost a week after the student's death. "We had a representation from his batchmates urging us to inquire into his death. Until then we did not know that he had gone for a hair transplant. We forwarded the complaint to the concerned officials and the salon was sealed after they found it to be unfit for such procedures, " said director of medical education Dr R Vimala. Police have proposed to exhume the body of Santhosh to conduct an autopsy.
The state medical council has issued notice to the undergraduate doctor and the anaesthetist, seeking explanation to why the surgical procedure was carried out unqualified doctors at an unauthorised centre. "We have issued notices to them. We have asked Dr Hariprasad why he did not stay in the salon till the procedure was completed. We have asked Dr Vineeth how he performed the surgery without being qualified. Hair transplant is a surgery and Vineeth is not a surgeon, " said Dr. Senthil.
The salon has been sealed by DMS.
