College student dies after knee surgery; family sues doctors

(123rf)

The bereaved family of a 19-year-old South Korean college student, who died following complications in postoperative care for a simple knee surgery, has filed criminal charges against medical staff involved in the operation, local police said Saturday.

According to Dunsan Police Station in Daejeon, four medical staff of Daejeon Eulji Medical Center have been accused of death by occupational negligence by the student's family. If convicted, the accused can be punished by up to five years in prison or 20 million won ($15,000) in fines.

The student visited the hospital after sustaining a knee injury on Dec. 22 following a fall at a local ice rink. There, the student received an hourlong surgery to treat the lesion in her knee cartilage on Dec. 28. The patient's status abruptly deteriorated while the doctors were closing the wounds, leading to her death at 6:20 p.m. later that day.

The hospital has claimed that there had been nothing out of the ordinary in relation to the operation, anesthesia, or any of the medical procedures involving the student.

Officials are planning to analyze the medical records and the surveillance footage to determine whether the DMC should be held accountable for the woman's death.

By Yoon Min-sik(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)