Doctor Sentenced to Two Years for Fatal Surgery Negligence in Malmö

Maha Kadoura, a 49-year-old woman, tragically died following routine plastic surgery in Malmö, prompting a significant legal ruling. The Malmö District Court sentenced the anesthesiologist responsible for her care to two years in prison for gross negligence leading to her death during the procedure in March 2023. Despite being a licensed physician, the doctor lacked the necessary specialization in anesthesiology and made several critical errors during the surgery, resulting in fatal oxygen deprivation and cardiac arrest.

Kadoura’s surgery, intended to address issues following a cesarean section, took a disastrous turn when she failed to wake up from anesthesia and subsequently fell into a coma. Her brother, Ayman Kadoura, revealed that the ambulance team later found she had not been properly monitored for oxygenation during the operation. In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered the doctor to pay 460,000 kronor in damages to Kadoura’s family, underscoring the severe consequences of inadequate care in private clinics.

Following the investigation, the Swedish Health and Social Care Inspectorate (IVO) took action against the clinic involved, banning it from providing healthcare services due to serious safety violations noted during their inspection. Ayman Kadoura highlighted the profound impact of this incident on the family, particularly her children, and has called for stricter regulations for private clinics to prevent similar tragedies in the future. He expressed a sense of relief at the verdict but emphasized that change is necessary to enhance patient safety in Sweden's healthcare system, which he criticized for allowing clinics to operate without adequate oversight.

The case has sparked broader discussions regarding patients' safety and the standards upheld by cosmetic surgery clinics in Sweden, prompting calls from the Kadoura family for legislative reform.