Hyderabad: Man dies during smile enhancement surgery, Dental clinic booked under IPC 304 A

Hyderabad: A dental clinic in Hyderabad is presently facing charges of negligence after a 28-year-old groom-to-be, unfortunately, passed away during a smile enhancement procedure due to an alleged overdose of anaesthesia. 

The father of the deceased claimed that his son died due to an excessive overdose of anaesthesia, accusing the clinic of medical negligence. He alleged that his son was administered anaesthesia during the dental procedure known as 'smile designing' and fell unconscious.

Accordingly, he filed a complaint against the private dental clinic and the police registered an FIR under section 304 (A) of the Indian Penal Code (causing death by negligence).

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The unfortunate incident took place on February 16 when the man visited the FMS International Dental Clinic in Hyderabad's Jubilee Hills at around 2.30 pm for a procedure to enhance his smile since he was preparing to get married in the next month.

He was taken into the operation theatre at around 4.30 pm for the procedure which lasted almost two hours. When the man fell unconscious, the clinic staff informed his father about his condition. 

Upon getting the information, the father went to the clinic and rushed him to Apollo Hospital where the doctors after examination declared him dead. The deceased father alleged that he was unaware of the fact that his son was getting a smile enhancement procedure. 

"He had no health issues, the doctors are responsible for his death," his father told NDTV. 

Station house officer (SHO) of Jubilee Hills police station, K Venkateshwar Reddy informed the Daily that the man's body has been sent for autopsy. The report will help them determine the cause of his death before initiating any further action against the clinic. He also said that a case has been registered after the father filed a complaint at the police station and the investigation is under process. 

According to the Indian Express news report, the father in his complaint alleged that it was due to the negligence of the dentist and excessive dosage of anaesthesia that his son died.

“We are awaiting the post-mortem examination report and the investigation will proceed as per the findings. We are in the process of examining medical records and CCTV footage from the clinic, said SHO Reddy.

Meanwhile, the dental clinic has presented different facts in the case. Denying the medical negligence charges labelled against them, Dr B V Rama Krishna Reddy, chief maxillofacial surgeon at FMS International, told Indian Express "Protocols as per the textbook were followed during the bridge removal and crown lengthening procedure and captured in CCTV cameras.

"The man and his mother first visited the clinic on January 30 regarding changing his existing dental bridge on the lower front teeth. On February 16, he reached the clinic an hour before the appointment and wanted to get done with the procedure the same day, Costing about Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000, it is a commonly performed procedure with a very simple dosage of anaesthesia," he added.

According to Dr Reddy, in all their 14 clinics across Hyderabad, FMS International performs around a hundred such procedures in a month. In this person's case, all was well during the three hours of bridge removal and crown lengthening until he felt post-operative pain while waiting to fix temporary teeth, said Dr Reddy.

“Usually, such pain is common, and we give painkillers about 40 minutes after the procedure. In his case, since he said he felt pain, we gave him a painkiller mixed with water immediately. After the first gulp, he wanted to puke. He was restless, wanted to use the toilet and complained of stomach cramps.

He was given antacids and anti-allergic tablets but he could not take them in and he suffered two back-to-back seizures and his blood pressure and pulse were going down. We started CPR, connected oxygen and gave emergency medicines. The ambulance arrived by 8.20 and continued resuscitation while taking him to the hospital. Even after 45 minutes, at 9 pm, he could not be revived," said Dr Reddy.

Dr Reddy said nothing was abnormal about the patient’s visit to the clinic except that he was anxious. “He was communicating fine about the bridge removal and root canal he had undergone earlier and spoke about what he wanted now. He wanted to get this done on the same day since his wedding and some ceremonies were approaching. We have followed all the protocols as per the textbook. We are not able to understand. We are waiting for the post-mortem report and the medical team of doctors on what they have to say,” he added.

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