Two surgeons have been permanently banned from practising medicine after a billionaire patient died during a penis enlargement procedure in Paris. Belgian-Israeli diamond dealer Ehud Arye Laniado, 65, suffered a fatal heart attack at the Saint-Honore-Ponthieu aesthetic clinic.
The lead surgeon, known as Guy H, was sentenced to 15 months in prison and fined €50,000 (£43,323). His colleague, who was standing in on the night of the incident, received a 12-month suspended sentence and a €20,000 (£17,329) fine. Both have been permanently banned from medical practice.
An investigation revealed that the surgeon delayed calling emergency services. The first call was made at 8pm, but a second call to the fire department was not made until two hours later. The defendant initially claimed the first call was due to the patient's irritable behaviour and insistence on continuing injections despite abdominal pain.
Lawyer Martin Reynaud argued that the heart attack could have occurred anywhere, stating: 'This cardiac incident could have happened anywhere, even in a pizzeria.' However, an unnamed Parisian practitioner said the incident was unsurprising, noting that in the upper echelons of cosmetic surgery, rules are often bent.
