Plastic Surgeon Arrested For Propofol Abuse

According to the Korea Biomedical review this week, police have arrested a physician that was operating at a renowned Gangnam plastic surgery clinic after he allegedly administered Propofol on himself. According to reports, this was carried out during the Chuseok holiday last month, a traditional Korean holiday comparable to Thanksgiving in the US.

The plastic surgeon in question is also the director of the Korean Association of Plastic Surgeons, sparking shock throughout the local medical community.

On September 23rd, police received an emergency 112 call saying, “The head of the clinic seems to be administering a narcotic substance himself at the clinic,” and police officers immediately attended the clinic in Sinsa-dong, south of Seoul, to arrest the man.

Reports claim the plastic surgeon admitted the use of propofol as police carried out their investigation. He was processed at the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul without detention for violating the Narcotics Control Act. With his consent, the police also requested that the National Forensic Service analyse his blood for an accurate reflection of any drugs administered.

The police did however, reportedly admit they planned to send the surgeon to prosecutors.

Propofol (pronounced PRO-poe-fall) is a general anaesthetic, and is also well-known as the drug responsible for the death of Michael Jackson. It is often used for major surgery, but is also affective for milder sedation for outpatient surgery, as recipients enter into a semi-conscious, drowsy state. “It has a very quick onset, but also wears off quickly,” says Dr. Aglio, associate professor of anaesthesiology at Harvard Medical School. “It’s like a switch. There’s little, if any, aesthetic hangover. And it doesn’t cause nausea or vomiting. And there is some loss of memory, which is a good thing.”

A 2010 review article on the potential for propofol abuse noted that some volunteers that took part in voluntary studies demonstrated that propofol’s effects were pleasurable, describing the sensation similar to being drunk or high.

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