What Happened at the Weston MedSpa That Left Rohie Kah Brain Dead?

Rohie Kah, 37, is on life support after liposuction procedure at Fla. spa.

ByABC News via logo
September 30, 2009, 2:52 PM

Oct. 1, 2009 — -- The doctor who operated on a now-brain dead Florida woman last week did not know the spa where he performed liposuction on her was not licensed to offer the treatment, his lawyer said today.

"Dr. Brito was unaware of the licenses that were obtained by the clinic or the licenses enforced by the clinic," Brian Bieber, Dr. Omar Brito's criminal defense attorney, told ABC's "Good Morning America" today.

Rohie Kah, 37, visited the Weston MedSpa in Weston, Fla., Sept. 25, a facility the registered nurse had frequented for services such as massages and manicures, her lawyers said.

But at some point during the procedure that was scheduled to last two hours, something went "terribly wrong," Kah's lawyer, Michael Freedland, said.

"A 37-year-old, healthy mother of three shouldn't go into a medical spa for a routine procedure and come out brain dead," he said.

Paramedics who responded to the emergency described Kah as "not breathing, no pulse and unresponsive" when they arrived at the Weston MedSpa Friday.

The Weston MedSpa said it had no comment regarding Kah, but Bieber said his client has a valid license to practice medicine in Florida and that he did nothing wrong.

"Dr. Brito performed a routine liposuction procedure and, unfortunately, toward the end of the procedure, complications developed where the patient had a seizure," Bieber said.

The spa's slogan, "You deserve it, you're worth it," is listed on the site, along with offers to finance procedures for customers who cannot afford the services outright. Liposuction was not among the listed services.

"Weston MedSpa provides a personalized approach to aesthetic medicine under the care of a physician to enhance your beauty," the facility's mission statement reads.