18-year-old underwent nose surgery and ended up in intensive care: "I entrust my daughter to the hands of a staff that is supposed to be experienced"

A routine cosmetic nose surgery at the MEDICAL TLV medical center turned into a life-threatening event after an 18-year-old woman was hospitalized in serious condition in the intensive care unit at Ichilov Hospital following the introduction of an acidic substance into her nostrils during the procedure. The medical drama began when, instead of an anesthetic or a vasoconstrictor, an acid was mistakenly introduced, causing severe burns in the oral cavity down to the vocal cords, leading to the young woman's urgent evacuation to the hospital and a fight for her life.

In an interview with "HaOlam HaBoker", Sapir Maimoni, the young woman's mother, recounted the moments of anxiety outside the operating room:

"The surgeon came out and said that an acid substance was injected into her by mistake instead of an anesthetic - and that she now needs to be urgently transferred to intensive care. I saw burns all over the cheek area, towards the eye - real spots. She entered the shock room and from there began a fight for her life."

"If it had penetrated beyond the vocal cords, I would not be sitting here and being interviewed," Maimoni added about her daughter's condition. "She does not understand what she is going through - how she reached this state." The mother also sharply criticized the staff's conduct: "They asked me if I am angry - I am not angry, but I am very disappointed with a staff that on the face of it should be very experienced, and I entrust my daughter into your hands. I would like them not to take this lightly - there is no such thing as having acid there that is not supposed to be there at all."

MEDICAL TLV responded:

"After the anesthesia stage, which was performed completely correctly by the anesthesiologist, the operating surgeon inserted tampons into the patient's nostrils that are supposed to assist the process. Due to a highly unusual human error, the tampons were dipped in a different substance. Once the rare error was discovered, within seconds, the young woman was transferred for treatment at Ichilov Hospital. The medical center regrets the unusual incident and it will be investigated thoroughly and professionally, and its findings will be passed on to the family and the relevant bodies."