An Ohio plastic surgeon known on TikTok as "Doctor Roxy," who livestreamed parts of procedures on the social media platform and was accused of botching the operations of three patients, was stripped of her medical license Wednesday.
The State Medical Board of Ohio voted to permanently revoke Dr. Katharine Roxanne Grawe's license and fine her $4,500 "based on her failure to meet standard of care," the board's spokesperson said in a statement.
Grawe, who amassed more than 825,000 followers and 14.6 million likes on her posts, will no longer be able to practice medicine and perform surgery in the state.
"It is the responsibility of the State Medical Board of Ohio to protect the public through the regulation of licensed medical practitioners," the board said. "The board accepts this responsibility and carefully reviews all presented evidence before making a formal decision."
The order will take effect "upon mailing of the final documents."
“Sometimes I did silly or fun videos simply to make people smile in this world, which is often negative and difficult to navigate,” NBC affiliate WCMH of Columbus quoted her as telling the board Wednesday.
The board was unswayed.
“Dr. Roxy claims that this will change her life forever. Well, she has single-handedly forever changed the lives of at least three people.” Dr. Jonathan Feibel, a member of the board, said at the hearing.
The board suspended Grawe's license on Nov. 18, writing in its suspension order that based on its review of her case, there was “clear and convincing evidence” that she violated regulations.
“Dr. Grawe’s continued practice presents a danger of immediate and serious harm to the public,” the order said.
A notice of summary suspension dated Nov. 18 said Grawe had been cautioned about her social media use in October 2018 and again in September 2021.
The board pointed to three patients whom Grawe “inappropriately treated” at her practice, Roxy Plastic Surgery in Powell, about 18 miles northwest of Columbus, from May 2020 through March 2022. The patients suffered severe complications after the procedures.
One patient, who underwent liposuction of the abdomen and arms and a “Brazilian butt lift” on March 21, 2022, had part of the procedure broadcast on social media, the notice of summary suspension said.
“While looking at the camera and speaking to the camera, you were engaged in liposuction of Patient 1’s abdomen," the board documents said. "Despite liposuction being a blind surgery that requires awareness of the tip of the cannula to avoid injury, your attention to the camera meant at those moments you were not looking at the patient or palpating the location of the tip of the cannula.” A cannula is a surgical instrument.
The patient was transferred to another hospital on March 28, 2022, and was found to have a “perforated small bowel and necrotizing soft tissue infection” and needed “a prolonged stay” to recover.
Grawe can appeal the board's decision. She and her lawyer did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Her TikTok and Instagram accounts are now private.
The board’s decision was praised by former patient Mary Jenkins, who sued Grawe in 2019 after the tissue of her breast reconstruction died.
“It will never go away, because every time we look down, we see a scar, and we will always remember," Jenkins said, WCMH reported.
Jenkins sued in 2014 and won a $358,000 jury verdict against Grawe in 2016. Grawe was found negligent in her “failure to diagnose and treat the complication" Jenkins had in her procedure, The Columbus Dispatch reported.