Teen Dies in Dental Chair

This story is a month old, but I wanted to make a comment about it. Having general anesthesia is not without complications.

Leejay Levene, 18, died during a visit to a Waterloo dental surgeon to have three wisdom teeth removed. Surgery was required because the teeth were embedded in the jawbone. Due to the nature of a potentially painful procedure, many patients often prefer the use of a general anesthetic. Leejay’s mother, Shirley, said that Leejay was nervous about the surgery since he always breathed through his mouth and was concerned that he might not be able to breathe properly. Leejay had just gone under general anesthesia when something went horribly wrong. He started to struggle for breath.

The ambulance arrived within seven minutes, with a more advanced unit arriving five minutes later. The anesthesiologist had been attempting to resuscitate the patient but Leejay’s heart had stopped beating. Paramedics continued attempts to revive the teen, to no avail.

Daniel Haas, a professor of dental anesthesia and pharmacology at the University of Toronto, said that while general anesthetic is safe, it’s not perfect. One in 700,000 patients dies each year under similar circumstances.

To read the full article visit http://www.buzzle.com/articles/teen-dies-in-dental-chair-during-routine-procedure.html

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