Washington Surgeon Suspended Over Patient Death From Anesthetic

A Bellevue, Wash.-based surgeon has been suspended for 30 days over the death of a liposuction patient, according to a Seattle Post-Intelligencer report.

Authorities charged Marco Sobrino, MD, with unprofessional conduct last year after he failed to monitor how much anesthetic he gave a patient and then sent her home alone without checking on her condition. The patient died following liposuction of her abdomen and upper arms. The cause of death was determined to be acute poisoning from Lidocaine, an anesthetic that was injected into her body.

The patient's death prompted her family to sue Dr. Sobrino and Sono Bello Body Contour Center, the clinic where he worked. The wrongful-death lawsuit against the clinic was settled last month for $1.8 million. Dr. Sobrino will now serve a three-year probation and complete 50 hours of medical education, as well as pay a $5,000 fine.

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