October 30, 2009 - Lawsuit Expected in Florida Spa Death

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The family of a 37-year-old woman who died after getting liposuction intends to sue the Florida spa where the procedure was performed, their lawyers say.

The South Florida Sun Sentinel reported Friday while attorneys for Rohie Kah-Orukotan's family had yet to file a lawsuit against Weston Medspa, the lawyers questioned drug dosage levels used in the Sept. 25 liposuction procedure.

Kah-Orukotan, of Miramar, was declared brain dead after slipping into a coma and was taken off life support Oct. 9.

The family's attorney questioned why the anesthetic Propofol was used in the procedure by Dr. Omar J. Brito-Marin.

He said the ideal use of Propofol is "in hospital settings that have appropriate emergency mechanisms to deal with a medical emergency."

"It's dangerous in that (hospital) environment. It shouldn't have been administered in a tanning salon," he said.

The attorney who represents Brito-Marin insists the proper levels of Propofol, as well as the local anesthetic lidocaine, were used.

"The dosages were clearly within proper-standard-of-care limits," he told the Sun Sentinel.

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