According to USA Today, Dr. Katharine Roxanne Grawe, a plastic surgeon who goes by the name “Dr. Roxy,” will never practice medicine in Ohio again. The State Medical Board of Ohio has permanently revoked her medical license following accusations of patient harm during live-streamed procedures on TikTok. The board’s decision came after it was discovered that Dr. Grawe neglected her patients while performing surgeries.
She live-streamed parts of the procedures, addressed the camera, and responded to viewer inquiries, all while the surgeries were ongoing. During the hearing, the state’s attorney representing the case against Dr. Grawe argued that she had deceived patients by presenting major surgeries, which could potentially have life-altering complications as if they were entertainment. The attorney requested that the medical board revoke Dr. Grawe’s license.
Dr. Grawe had the opportunity to address the board before the vote. She pleaded with the members to consider the accusations against her with an open mind. Dr. Grawe claimed that the disciplinary actions she had already faced were more severe than she had anticipated. She also mentioned the negative impact the accusations had on her personal life, including her children being targeted at school and her husband leaving her.
Dr. Grawe admitted that she had used social media in an attempt to bridge the gap between patients and practitioners, but now understands that she fell short of the medical board’s standards. She acknowledged that some of her videos appeared unprofessional and that her actions at times seemed careless, which offended her patients and colleagues.
Vice President of the medical board, Jonathan B. Feibel, criticized Dr. Grawe for her recklessness and disregard for the board’s regulations. Prior to the suspension of her license, the medical board secretary had warned her on two occasions within the previous four years about the importance of maintaining patient privacy when sharing media on social platforms. She was also instructed to complete remedial education courses on plastic surgery complications, professionalism, and ethics.
However, Dr. Grawe continued to livestream medical procedures even after completing the courses, dismissing complaints from dissatisfied former patients. The medical board cited three patients who reported complications after undergoing surgeries performed by Dr. Grawe at her practice, Roxy Plastic Surgery. One patient, who had undergone liposuction, a Brazilian butt lift, and a skin-tightening procedure, had to be rushed to the emergency room when free air was discovered in her abdomen.
Further examination revealed that she was suffering from hepatic encephalopathy, a condition caused by a damaged liver’s inability to remove toxins from the blood. Exploratory surgery revealed a perforated bowel and a serious bacterial infection, resulting in an extended hospital stay and multiple corrective procedures. The medical board also found evidence that Dr. Grawe had live-streamed a portion of this patient’s procedure on social media, where she was seen interacting with the camera while performing liposuction.
Dr. Grawe’s actions resulted in severe damage and infection to the patient’s abdomen, which will likely have long-lasting complications. Both Feibel and Dr. Yeshwant P. Reddy, another member of the medical board, emphasized that such outcomes and disregard for patient well-being warrant Dr. Grawe’s permanent removal from the medical profession.
Mary Jenkins, a former patient of Dr. Grawe, attended the medical board’s meeting. Although Jenkins was not one of the three patients who filed complaints against Dr. Grawe, she had previously won a lawsuit against the surgeon for a botched breast reconstruction surgery. Jenkins, a breast cancer survivor who founded Christians Overcoming Cancer in 2006, experienced complications after undergoing a procedure performed by Dr. Grawe in 2012. The surgery resulted in a gaping wound in Jenkins’ chest, requiring extensive wound therapy and an extended stay in a nursing facility.
Jenkins expressed her emotions after the medical board permanently revoked Dr. Grawe’s license. She believed that the board’s action was long overdue and hoped that it would prevent other patients from enduring the pain she had experienced over the years. The permanent revocation of Dr. Katharine Roxanne Grawe’s medical license by the State Medical Board of Ohio sends a strong message against negligence and unprofessional behavior in the medical field, prioritizing patient safety and well-being.
