"It's Nothing" Followed by Sudden General Anesthesia... Man Dies Day After Shoulder Surgery

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Police have launched an investigation after a man in his 40s died just a day after undergoing shoulder surgery at a general hospital in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province.

According to the bereaved family on August 10, Mr. A, a man in his 40s with an intellectual disability, received treatment at a hospital last month for a shoulder fracture and dislocation.

However, that hospital recommended transferring him to a higher-level facility, stating, "It seems there is a problem with the patient's ligaments, so you should go to a larger hospital." Mr. A's father then took his son to a general hospital and explained the symptoms.

At the time, upon reviewing Mr. A's medical records, the general hospital reportedly reassured the father by saying, "This is nothing. Just pay the surgery fee and bring the patient back tomorrow, and we'll perform the procedure."

However, on the day of the surgery, the hospital suddenly demanded consent for general anesthesia instead of the local anesthesia originally planned. After finishing the surgery, Mr. A showed symptoms of breathing difficulty, went into cardiac arrest, and ultimately passed away the next day.

Mr. A's father blamed himself, saying, "Even the doctor who performed the surgery came down to the intensive care unit and looked worried, but my son ended up dying the next day. Even though my son had an intellectual disability, his body was completely fine. Why did I tell him to get surgery?"

According to the death certificate issued by the hospital, the direct cause of death was recorded as "hypoxic brain injury," and the manner of death was listed as "other and unknown" rather than natural causes or external causes.

The bereaved family has filed a complaint against the hospital with the police, demanding that the truth behind the incident be revealed.

In response, the hospital stated that it is difficult to release a specific official stance due to the protection of patient privacy and the fact that the matter is currently under police investigation.

Once the review of the complaint is completed, police plan to summon the bereaved family and the hospital's medical staff to investigate the exact circumstances of the surgery and the cause of death.

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